Harry Potter and the Ethereal Flame
by Serpentine Phoenix
Summary: Post Ootp – 6th yr fic. Harry has had enough of others dictating his life. It is time for him to take control and prepare for his destiny! Political battles and power issues ensue as exciting happenings occur at Hogwarts. Not superpower Harry!
1. Drawing Conclusions

**Harry Potter and the Ethereal Flame **

**Summary:** Post Ootp – 6th yr fic. Harry has had enough of others dictating his life. It is time for him to take control and prepare for his destiny! Political battles and power issues ensue as exciting happenings occur at Hogwarts. Not superpower Harry!

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! I promised in my one-shot fic that I posted a few days back that I would have this story up within a week; so here it is! I am planning on updating this fic at some point between every 5-10 days, this way it gives me time to make sure that chapters are good (hopefully) and provide a reliable updating period. Anyway, onto the story, this is only the first chapter and so might be a little slow, but bear with me here…

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Chapter 1: Drawing Conclusions**

Relentlessly, heavy rain assaulted the houses of Surrey, England. In the smallest bedroom of number 4 Privet Drive, one young man was sat on the floor, legs crossed, staring out through his window into the night storm. A small bedside lamp was the only source of light in the enclosed space aside from the flashing lightning outside.

This young man of slight build had only recently returned from the boarding school that he attended almost year round. This might seem quite normal if it were not for the fact that the curriculum taught at said school consisted of Potions and Transfiguration to name a few.

The teenager's name was Harry. Harry James Potter really, but he would rather be _just_ Harry. His dark locks brushed about his eyes and he distractedly shook them out of his line of view. His startling emerald green eyes were unfocused as he thought over things that no near sixteen year old rightfully should.

He had only returned from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a mere three days ago and as of yet, his days had involved thinking, bathroom breaks and the rare spell of sleep. Plagued by nightmares and grief over the recent loss of his Godfather, Sirius, Harry had been an emotional wreck. Add to this the fact that he had been isolated from his 'world'; it is surprising that he is as collected as he is.

His thoughts drifted over his parent's death, leaving him orphaned when he was but one year old. Bitterness and resentment seemed to stir his memories and the unfairness of his life in general. Of all the things that haunted him, two particularly were at the forefront of his mind. These were the death of his caring Godfather, Sirius Black of which his death he was partly responsible for. The second was the_ prophesy_! It was the thing that was directing his life and foretelling his fate. In a morbid way, Harry found it quite amusing that the wizarding public as a majority had turned their backs on him because he spoke the _truth_! If they were so _weak_ that they could not accept what was going on around them and take a stand, then why should he fight for them?

He had been sat there for three days now, barely touching the food that his _Aunt_, only in blood mind, had provided him with (out of fear of Moody only) and had only really moved to visit the bathroom two or three times a day. This had given him ample time to reflect on his life and speculate on his future. Although he tried to make himself want to fight for the wizarding world, he could not. No, instead, he was going to fight for his parent's memory. He would fight for those who are innocent and for those who were innocent. He would fight for _vengeance_!

The young man that sat on his floor seemed to have reached some sort of decision as he sat a little straighter and his relatively handsome features were etched with a silent anger and fierce determination. His eyes, no longer unfocused, could now clearly distinguish the silhouette of three large birds flying toward his window, battling against the storm and vicious winds. If one were to look at it in an analytical way, it really was quite magnificent to see these creatures' powerful wings propel them through the harsh weather.

The arrival of these feathered beauties however, did raise some suspicion in Harry's mind. After all, Hedwig was currently sleeping contentedly, perched on the back of his chair after taking this morning's letter to the Order informing them (rather unnecessarily in his opinion) of his wellbeing. In his mind, he knew he was still being watched and so wasting parchment as requested of him by Moody (every three days) to inform them of what they already knew was pointless.

Opening the window in time for the three birds, one screech owl, one eagle owl and one magnificent phoenix to soar through the window, Harry was able to see a letter tied to each of the birds' legs. At seeing Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, he had felt a surge of white hot anger stir within him though he had suppressed it in light of his love for his red and gold friend.

Untying the three letters from his animal guests, Harry allowed each in turn to refresh and replenish their strength with water and owl treats (which he found Fawkes had a liking for) before they all took to the storm again to return to their senders. Deciding on the letter bearing a wax seal of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, as it posed the most interest in Harry's mind; he hurriedly broke the seal and unrolled the parchment.

_Mr. Potter,  
__I am writing to you concerning some legal processes that involve yourself and require your presence here at our London branch. In light of the dark times that are upon us, I will not say too much in this letter in regards to our business.  
__I have sent a letter to Mr. A Dumbledore also informing him of the meeting that needs to take place during the course of the next month. If you could, within the period of a month from now, come to our London branch, then we can deal quickly and efficiently with our business.  
__You do not need an appointment, just ask for myself. I thank you for your time and look forward to our meeting.  
__Sincerely,  
__  
__Griphook  
__Head of Inheritance and Distribution  
__Gringotts, London Branch_

Harry quickly reread the letter to ensure that he had not misunderstood any of its content. It was then that Harry realised that he had heard the name Griphook somewhere before. He did not have much time however to ponder this as his thoughts turned abruptly to the fact that Dumbledore seemed to play a part in _every_ aspect of his life! To say he was angry would be a severe understatement. Harry James Potter at that moment was enraged beyond _belief_ that Dumbledore was again keeping even _more_ information from him.

Nevertheless, Harry reminded himself that he had also received a letter from Dumbledore and decided to read it purely intent on finding some form of explanation.

_Harry,  
__I am writing to you concerning a many number of things. I am sure that you have received a letter from Gringotts bank and have quite a few questions. However, firstly I would like to apologise for my mistakes last year. I only hope that you can forgive me.  
__Firstly, Gringotts have no doubt informed you that they require your presence at some point during the next month. I have decided that a month will be sufficient enough time to spend at your home and so on your birthday, I will arrange for you to be collected. I can then personally escort you to Gringotts the following day.  
__Also, I have to discuss with you the matter of Sirius' funeral. We plan to hold the event at a private wizarding cemetery on the 30th of August. I know that this may be a sensitive subject for you, but I think the best we can do is honour his memory.  
__Until then Harry, stay safe and try not to wander too far from 4 Privet Drive as the closer to home you are, the safer you will remain.  
__Regards,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Harry didn't know where to _start_ being angry with this letter! Dumbledore just spewed some half-assed apology and expected forgiveness? Then there was the fact that he was _telling_ Harry what his summer would consist of and directly interfering in Harry's personal life. As it were, Dumbledore is only the Headmaster of Hogwarts, not his relative and so in Harry's opinion; he could just butt out of his life!

The there was the funeral. _Sirius' funeral._ That was something he definitely planned on attending!

Deciding to think on these things later, he turned to the last remaining letter. Picking it up, he noticed that the letter bore the seal of the Ministry of Magic. Thoughts rushed through his mind, speculating on what he could have done to warrant a letter from _them_! He really did hate them at the moment. They were incompetent, fearful, ignorant and being led by someone who could possibly be the most pig-headed man in Britain. These facts were also devouring his once dream of becoming an Auror. After all, why would he want to work for such an organisation? The fact that when he was done with Voldemort (which he was very intent on), he wasn't too sure that he would actually _want_ to involve himself with catching 'dark' wizards. Maybe an exciting job that was a little less socially affecting?

Anyway, dispelling these thoughts with a firm shake of the head, Harry broke the seal and began to read the letter.

_To Whom It May Concern:  
__We here at the Ministry of Magic are writing to inform the public of a dark wizard who is currently terrorising the British muggle and wizarding community. The wizard, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, also controls a group of wizards and witches by the name of Death Eaters who are highly dangerous. These are robed figures, in black, who also wear white masks.  
__We are alerting all wizarding homes of this danger and enclosed is a leaflet on defensive spells and precautions that should be adhered to. We thank you for your time and we ensure you that the Ministry is doing all in their power to stop this threat. Thank you for your time,  
__Hoping you are well,  
__Sincerely,_

_Jeremy Falkurk,  
__Head of Protocol,  
__Ministry of Magic_

Harry quickly turned to the enclosed defensive leaflet and after flicking through it for a brief minute, could not hold back the burst of bitter laughter that escaped his lips at what the Ministry were distributing to the public. The leaflet consisted of 'protego' and 'expelliarmus'; none of which would really help you in a full on Death Eater attack. The sad thing though was that his duelling capability rested on these types of spells. It suddenly dawned on him, how much he needed to learn in order to seek vengeance and protect those he will. He then decided that he would have to learn like a man possessed as he needed to become powerful, no, _powerful_!

After throwing the letter onto the messy pile he had formed on his battered desk, courtesy of Dudley, he lay down on his hard bed, suddenly quite tired and the prospect of a nightmare was doing nothing for his mood. Thinking over his lack of knowledge concerning the wizarding world and magic in general, he figured he needed study material of which he thought Diagon Alley would be perfect. So, he needed to go to Diagon Alley (which would alone be difficult with Dumbledore's warning in the letter he just received) and he also needed to go to Gringotts (of which he had no intention of going with Dumbledore)!

Deciding he would think on how he could accomplish what he needed to do after a nights worth of sleep, Harry closed his eyes and it was with the sound of the rain still beating against his window, comforting him slightly, that he drifted off into a relatively peaceful slumber.

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Author's Note:** Okay. There is the first chapter. It is just to really introduce the story and get into the style and flow of the story. Anyway, let me know what you think in reviews as I would really appreciate it! As of now, I have no real set length for chapters, just however long to say what needs to be said, but all my chapters should be relatively decent lengths. Oh, I do have the story mapped out roughly, so I do have guidelines that I am following (albeit sketchily) and so suggestions are welcome. Expect the next chapter within 5-10 days – more like 5 really though (hopefully)! Review please! 

Serpentine Phoenix ____


	2. Growing Up

**Harry Potter and the Ethereal Flame**

**Author's Note:** I am going to respond to all those who reviewed my first chapter at the end of this chapter! I will do this for all chapters from now on as well. Without further delay, here is chapter two!

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**Chapter 2: Growing Up**

Lazily, the scent of crisp bacon and steaming sausages drifted through the household of 4 Privet Drive, waking the 15 year old teenager who was sprawled across his small bed. Harry sat up after a brief struggle with his bedding and wiped the sleep out of his eyes nonchalantly. Staring unseeingly toward his window, it was a few seconds before the previous days events flooded his bleary mind. It also dawned on him that his Aunt Petunia would be cooking breakfast since he had not left his room much since his return to Privet Drive. He could actually imagine just how Petunia would be cursing that 'freak' for making _her_ cook breakfast for _her_ family.

Deciding that a shower is the best way to start the day, Harry hauled his body up and made his way towards the bathroom before the resident whale, also known as his cousin Dudley claimed the bathroom to 'impress the ladies'. Ha! The only thing that Dudley could attract is flies! Pinching a warm towel from the linen closet, Harry quickly turned on the shower and stepped under the therapeutic spray.

"Boy! Get out of the bathroom now! Dudley needs it and mark my words freak, you have five minutes or _I'll_ come and _drag_ you out!" was accompanied by his Uncle's meaty fists assaulting the door, after only five minutes of Harry being in the shower.

Harry decided to finish up quickly and stepped out from under the faucet. Wrapping his towel around his waist, his body still dripping water, Harry made his way for the door. Just as he was about to turn the doorknob, he was distracted by the sound of someone or something colliding with the metal garbage can (AN: I've gone all American) outside. Listening with interest, the sound of a few colourful curse words drifted up and through the open bathroom window. _Tonks_. Well, at least he now knew who was on guard duty today.

Making his way to his room with only a hard glare from his Uncle to hinder him, Harry quickly dried off and changed into his most presentable jeans and t-shirt. Throwing on a jacket, he began to plan out how he was going to make his way to Gringotts without the suffocating company of the Order of the Phoenix or _Dumbledore!_ Slipping on a battered pair of old trainers, Harry had a rough idea of what he needed to do and _how_ he was going to do it. He would need some items first though so he began to root through his room for what he needed.

Picking up a small backpack from the abandoned pile of toys that had previously belonged to Dudley, he opened it and found that it had sufficient space for what he needed to carry. He made his way to his trunk of which he had not unpacked yet and firstly picked out his prized invisibility cloak and carefully placed that into the backpack. Slipping his small Gringotts vault key into a small, secure pocket on the side of the backpack he then reached into his trunk for a small velvet pouch of gold. Checking off the items on his metal check list, he now only needed a black, cloaked hood of which he already had, though it was a little short and tattered and then his wand. His wand of which was always with him was now in his right jean pocket. The handle was just protruding and allowed for easy access should the need for it arise. Feeling fully prepared and in control, Harry made his way downstairs with a slight spring in his step and a small smile playing about his lips.

When Harry walked into the kitchen all activity ceased as the Dursley's immediately noticed his change in attitude. Vernon, not liking this change and hoping to change it to his favour quickly spoke up.

"So boy, finally out of that room eh! Well, if you're well enough to come and eat our food then you can damn well earn it! The garden needs weeding and the fence needs pa…" Vernon didn't get a chance to finish as Harry cut him off.

"I won't be doing any such thing, _Uncle_." Harry responded, finally deciding that if he can stand up to a powerful Dark Lord, then he could stand up to an insignificant _muggle_. "As a matter of fact, I won't be doing _anything_ around this place and as for your food, keep It." he finished his declaration in only a firm whisper.

"W…wh!..." Vernon was completely lost for words as his scrawny little nephew spoke to him with such _disrespect_!

"I'm going out. If or when I come back, I think some changes might be in order. After all, we are _family_." With one last glare, filled with contempt, disgust and hatred, Harry walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Quickly retrieving his invisibility cloak and money pouch from his backpack, he attached the pouch to his belt and threw the cloak over him; disappearing under its silky folds.

After waiting for only about a half a minute, Dudley charged from the kitchen and made his way to the front door, no doubt eager to terrorise the neighbourhood. Waiting for just the right moment whilst his cousin opened the front door and threw a coat on, Harry managed to slip out of the house; unnoticed by both his cousin and Tonks who was invisible and sat, still nursing a sore toe, on the garden wall.

Walking as swiftly as he could without scaring any unsuspecting muggles with a foot appearing out of nowhere, Harry soon arrived at Magnolia Crescent. It was here that he had originally called the Knight Bus in the summer before his third year after that whole debacle with his 'Aunt' Marge. Quickly taking his hooded black cloak from his backpack, he ensured that his face was masked with the shadows created by the overly large hood before stepping out of his invisibility cloak. Shoving the invisibility cloak rather unceremoniously into the backpack, Harry looked around to ensure no muggles were about, before raising his right hand with wand held securely and sure enough, a load bang issued as the Knight Bus came to a screeching halt.

Then the conductor Harry recognised as Stan Shunpike leapt from the bus and began his routine speech.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizar…" but he never got to finish as Harry had heard this once before and decided to just get right to the point before Tonks realised that something was wrong.

"Yes, yes. I know, now can we just get going?" interrupted Harry as he handed over the required eleven Sickles. He knew that he sounded very patient and probably a real jerk, but he needed to get going quickly and so he dismissed the slight feeling of guilt afterward.

"Yes sir. Where to?" inquired Stan as he tried, not so discreetly, to see the face of his passenger.

"The Leaky Cauldron" replied Harry whilst keeping his head firmly down before he brushed past Stan and took a seat in one of the many chairs lining the bus. He realised that since it was day-time, beds would be a tad inappropriate.

"Off we go then Ern!" shouted Stan in what was supposed to be an authoritative voice.

Harry just sat back, guarding his face and with his hand resting on his wand. His last thought before the bus jolted into action was; _Time to show people and all the over-grown bats out there that Harry Potter is **not** just a famous name! Time to show them what Harry Potter can do!_

Stepping off the bus after one hell of a hectic ride, Harry decided that he needed a more reliable source of transportation. Quickly making his way into the Leaky Cauldron, Harry noticed that the inn was relatively full and was glad that some things hadn't changed with the announcement of Voldemort's return. This train of thought however, quickly led to how they didn't believe him when he warned them a whole year before the Ministry did and he had to quash the rapidly growing feelings of bitterness.

Making a bee-line for Tom, the bartender and owner of this fine establishment, he was greeted with a rather suspicious and calculating eye. Not wanting to reveal his identity to the whole inn, he motioned discreetly for Tom to take him aside. Turning a corner for a tad of privacy, Harry lifted his hood back slightly so that Tom could see his face and after he saw the recognition on Tom's face, he re-covered his face.

"I have come here today on business and would appreciate my privacy and would like you to keep my visit and identity a secret. Please" Harry finished with a slight pleading tone in his voice.

Tom, after seeing that it was Harry, welcomed him with his trademark toothy grin and asked Harry is he could do anything for him.

"Just a bit of breakfast if you will Tom" Harry replied with a smile.

After being led to a small, one-man circular table to the back of the inn, it was only a few minutes before Tom arrived with a hot plate of toast, sausage, bacon, eggs and beans accompanied with a steaming mug of sweet tea. With a contented sigh and a sincere thank you to Tom, Harry dug in with vigour as only a teenager can.

Once finished with his magnificent breakfast, Harry walked confidently up to the bar and paid Tom with a little extra at which he received a large smile.

"Good day sir and I hope to see you again soon!" whispered Tom and brought a smile to Harry's face with the genuineness of his statement.

Walking through Diagon Alley, Harry had to smile at the shops and the feeling of home that it provided. This was what Harry liked about the magical world; the magic! Everything is so strange and magical and unreal, he did feel a degree of shame about not taking advantage of learning all the magic he could at Hogwarts. After all, he had taken it for granted and even complained about learning it when actually it was a privilege and an honour to be _able_ to learn magic. Some things would have to change at any rate.

His train of thought though was sharply cut off when he arrived at the grand white building looming over the Alley. He found it quite amusing that it reminded him of a family member (Dursleys excluded) protecting the Alley and providing a sense of comfort when it was run by beings known for their unfriendliness.

Entering the building and even smiling at the [afterward] shocked Goblins who opened the doors, Harry made for an empty counter with a rather powerful looking Goblin, scratching away on parchment with a regal quill, at its head.

"Excuse me" Harry coughed.

"Yes?" drawled the Goblin, not looking up from his parchment. Harry found the Goblin's voice very snake-like as he drew out the's' nice and long.

"I am here at the request of Griphook."

"Name?" the Goblin asked with a sharp voice, now looking directly at Harry.

"Harry Potter," he whispered, "in the letter he sent me, it stated that I needed no appointment. Harry was acting decidedly more confident than he felt.

"Yes…Rushkov!" the Goblin yelled, reverting back to his snake-like voice.

A small and young looking Goblin darted from somewhere Harry didn't see and stood to attention before the obviously higher ranked Goblin.

"Take Mister Potter here to Head Griphook."

The young Goblin who looked rather new to the whole procedure looked fearfully at the other, obviously having a problem with the command.

"Griphook, sir?" he asked in a tentative manner.

"Inheritance and Distribution!" he breathed in a rather heated voice to avoid attracting the attention of passing witches and wizards.

Harry followed the Goblin as he scurried off and led him through many hallways that were surprisingly decorative and he took the time to admire the walls which were lined with paintings and tapestries depicting what Harry assumed were the infamous Goblin Rebellions.

Finally arriving at an intricately carved wooden door, with a dark mahogany shine, Harry looked at the golden name plate attached to the door reading: **Griphook – Inheritance and Distribution**. Looking down, Harry noticed with slight surprise that his Goblin guide had scurried off somewhere and so he knocked politely on the door.

"Enter!" sounded a polite if not slightly crisp voice.

Harry tentatively opened the door and stepped inside the office. Sat at a rather ornate desk was a Goblin who looked to be one of the 'friendlier' Goblins of which Harry put down to his obvious regular dealings with witches and wizards.

"Take a seat Mister Potter" the Goblin motioned to a comfortable red-lined chair in front of the desk.

Harry sat down and it was as he looked toward Griphook that he had a sudden flash of recognition. It was Griphook from his first year! He deduced that he must be doing very well for himself to be promoted to such a high ranked position, as the last time he saw him, he was running the carts.

Griphook seemed to know what Harry was thinking and confirmed his thoughts. "Yes Mister Potter, it is I. Indeed it has been a long time since I saw you and you have grown considerably. I must say though, I am surprised as to your quick response to my letter and the absence of one Albus Dumbledore?" It was obvious that Griphook was fishing for an explanation.

"Well, I have other business in Diagon Alley that required my attention as soon as possible and so I thought that I may as well visit here to see what was so important during my visit. As to _Dumbledore_," Griphook seemed taken aback by the venom in Harry's voice, "I would prefer he stayed out of my business as he has proved untrustworthy."

Griphook seemed to be digesting this information and then he gave a slight nod as though confirming his own thoughts.

"Right, well, I have called you here today to discuss the will of one Sirius Black." Here Harry's head dropped slightly and he was on the verge of giving into his depressing thoughts. However, he quickly gathered his thoughts and decided he would deal with his feelings at another time; now he needed to be strong and together!

"Unfortunately, there are some, how you say…complications."

"Complications?" Harry queried, his curiosity shining through.

"Yes. You see, once word got out of Mr. Black's will, a great many people took interest in its contents and this has resulted in many legal problems. It is no secret Mister Potter…"

"Harry, please."

"Yes…Harry. It is no secret that the Black family fortune is of great value. There are many people who desire this fortune and those who desire, less valuable, but no less rewarding things." It seemed to Harry like Griphook was talking in riddles and he really just wanted him to get down to it. Seeing this, Griphook decided to just get right into the thick of it.

"You see a number of people have contested the will. These include the Ministry, or more accurately, Minister Fudge. One Narsissa Malfoy has also placed her claim and surprisingly one Albus Dumbledore. He however, has not contested the distribution of the will; instead, he contested a certain _right_ that is bequeathed to you as a result of your Godfather's passing." This perked Harry's interest.

"Harry, your Godfather in his will, left you many things of which are being contested by the likes of the Minister and Mrs. Malfoy. This has caused the will to be frozen until a time when it can be brought before the Wizengamot. With Mr. Black's current situation as a convict, the Ministry has a valid claim, as does Mrs. Malfoy with her blood relation. Now, there _are_ things that can be carried out concerning your part in the will without going against Ministry law concerning the frozen will."

Yes…" Harry prompted.

"Firstly, a letter was left in our possession to be passed onto you; that I will give you shortly. The second thing is a right that your Godfather validated that upon his death, be you under seventeen, then you could invoke a right called; _Claiming Independence_. This is in its basic form, emancipation. You will receive all adult rights and be considered an adult; this will also include your right to use magic outside of school. You will _not_ be able to apply for apparating however as age is a main factor for the Ministry there. You will gain full control of your financial status and will legally be considered an adult in the wizarding world."

This was extremely pleasing to Harry as he would no longer be under other people's rule.

"Is this what Dumbledore was contesting then?"

Yes, he was…worried…that you would abuse this privilege and he did not want to allow you the choice."

At this declaration from Griphook, words could not describe the anger that flowed through Harry's body. White hot anger that stirred in his stomach and it was so great that he could not control it despite his best effort to, and a nearby vase exploded with incredible force.

After apologising profusely to Griphook who merely shook it off as a 'wizard' thing, Griphook produced a formal piece of parchment that was very straight forward in its meaning. It granted him Independence should he just sign it.

After a moment's hesitation, Harry signed his name with a confident hand and Griphook rolled up the parchment and shook Harry's hand.

"Congratulations Harry, you are now a legal adult! There is only the matter of your vaults now and then our business is concluded for the moment. After today, I will contact you via owl to arrange another meeting to update you on the situation of Mr. Black's will."

"Excuse me, vaults? As in plural?"

"Yes, originally you had your trust fund, but now that you are a legal adult; you have access to your family vault."

"Why was I not informed of the existence of such a vault?" inquired Harry.

"You were not informed? I must say. This is quite unexpected! After all, your magical guardian was in charge of your Gringotts vaults and distributing information to you of them. You mean he did not tell you?" asked a very shocked Griphook.

"Let me guess, Dumbledore?"

"Correct. It does not matter anymore; he is no longer in charge of it as you are a legal adult. Would you like to visit your family vault?"

"Please, and also my letter?"

"Of course. Let us enjoy some tea and biscuits for lunch and then I will arrange for you to visit your family vault."

So, after lunch with Griphook who engaged Harry in polite conversation, the young Goblin Rushkov once again escorted Harry to the Gringotts lobby and then onto the carts. After a rather fast and slightly nauseating ride, they came to stop before a large circular vault door. This was his family vault; number 187.

Stepping out of the cart, Harry approached the door. It was situated deeper within the rock than surrounding vaults and the door seemed to be made of some black metal of which Harry had never seen before. Running along the edge of the circular door was a line of runes that were etched into the vault door and filled delicately with silver. The vault number was also stated on the front of the vault door in the same fashion in silver as was the name 'POTTER' printed just underneath. Harry stopped his analysis of the door when he noticed there was no indication of a keyhole. Turning a questioning gaze towards Rushkov who seemed to have forgotten himself for a moment, he quickly sprung into action.

Walking towards the vault door, he came to a stop before the centre of the door and drew a small circle with one of his sharp finger nails. Materialising where he drew the circle was a small silver keyhole. Taking the golden key offered by Rushkov, Harry placed it in the slot and turned it. The vault door opened with a click and began to slowly creak open. When the door was fully open, Harry was in awe of what was before him.

Stepping inside, leaving Rushkov to sit in the cart patiently, Harry was able to fully see the contents of the vault. Mountains of gold, silver and bronze were piled all over the vault, some even piled to the high ceiling of the vault. Gems and jewels were amongst the piles of wealth and many different weapons lined the walls of the rectangular vault. Various paintings and tapestries also lined the walls and were scattered throughout the vault. Lots of furniture was also strewn about the vault; no doubt left from countless generations of Potters. There were also lots of counters and cabinets which contained different documents and items such as jewellery and magical objects. There were also innumerable photo albums and family items such as toys and also a huge family tapestry directly opposite the vault door. Harry also noticed that most items carried small white card tags that carried a brief explanation of the item it was attached to; this was a great relief to Harry since he would have had no idea which Potter left what and what item is what.

Firstly deciding to open the letter that Sirius had left him, Harry took a seat in a plush leather chair somewhere near the centre of his massive vault and broke the seal to the letter. With shaking hands Harry unrolled the parchment and began to read the letter.

_Harry,  
__If you are reading this then I guess I really did mess up eh? Anyway, I never really was one for long letters or sentimental speeches, but I do love you! Now that I am gone, I want you to enjoy your life. I know you haven't had the best life at the Dursley's, but you have a lifetime to enjoy yourself.  
__You only live once Harry. Remember that. Until we meet again,  
__Your loving Godfather,_

_Sirius._

Harry just stared at the letter in front of him. To him it spoke volumes, even though it was in not so many words. To him though, this just strengthened his resolve. Sirius wanted him to have fun and he couldn't have fun being under Dumbledore's rule. No, he had to take control and he had started by becoming legally independent.

Tucking the letter into his backpack, Harry began to search through his vault. He looked over everything. Spending hours looking through photo albums and studying his family tapestry with great enthusiasm, Harry began to form a realistic and satisfying portrait in his mind of his family.

Emerging from the vault many hours later to a surprised Rushkov, Harry pushed the vault door closed and locked before checking that both his family vault and trust fund vault keys were safely hanging on a simple, thin silver chain that he had found within his vault. Harry had had a very good look at _everything_ in the vault and decided that since the hour was late, he would return tomorrow to do all his shopping and collect all the things that he wanted to from his family vault.

As the cart sped towards his trust fund vault where he wanted to quickly collect some money to last him a few days, he thought back on the two other things that he had taken from his vault for the time being. He had firstly discovered the ring that rested snugly on his third finger of his left hand, about two hours into his vault search. It was a simple gold band with a second protruding band running across the centre of the base band. The second band was engraved with runes and was of white gold that contrasted nicely with the rich gold of the base band. This had been one of the most rewarding finds in the vault since it would undoubtedly be a key element in his 'training' as he had come to call what he planned to do. The card that was attached to the ring with a thin piece of string read:

_Ethereal Ring (projection ring)  
__Made by: Calamity Potter  
__Creation Date: 1901_

_I am a scholar in Ethereal Magics and have studied this powerful magic extensively all my life. It was a while ago that I discovered the technique and magics required to make this ring. As to my knowledge, this is the last ring of this type. _

_There were two other rings of this type when I created this one in secret. One of those has now been devoured by a Dragon in an unfortunate accident and the Dragon flame was hot enough to melt it and destroy its magic. _

_The second ring has also now been destroyed during an explosive potions accident. So, this one to my knowledge is the only one in existence. _

_The magic and even the knowledge of such rings is basically none existent as they are a closely guarded secret and the magic which they are based in is a forgotten magic. _

_The ring is actually quite ingenious in its purpose as it projects a physical embodied copy of the user's mind. This can be sustained for a period of 12 hours a day, taking equal time to replenish its energy. This can be draining on the user's mind also. _

_The embodiment is not physical without taking more energy from the user's mind. This will prove hard for using the embodiment to lift objects. However, it can be used to e.g. read books without much draining. Any information or harm to the embodiment will be transferred to the user when they re-connect. _

_This can prove both a hinder and a benefit, especially in the case of obtaining knowledge. This is a dangerous and powerful object, use with care and caution Potter! _

_To activate the ring's power, you must turn the second/centre band a half turn clockwise. If done correctly, small clicking sounds should sound and then on completion of a half turn clockwise; the ring should glow before your mind is then embodied. _

_When the user has finished their time, they must turn the second/centre band a half turn anti-clockwise and the embodiment will re-connect with the user's mind._

_Extended use past the suggested usage time could result in mental exhaustion or periods of weakness. _

_Use it well!_

The second item was a small stack of papers that he had taken from one of the cabinets that contained some valuable information. He did not have time to dwell on this however as the cart came to a stop by his trust fund vault. Quickly filling his money pouch with some Galleons, Harry was soon in the lobby of Gringotts. Thanking Rushkov, Harry was soon making his way through Diagon Alley once more. It was as he passed that he saw a few stores with leaflet stands outside and on a whim, grabbed a few before swiftly moving on; ensuring that his hooded cloak was securely fitted onto him.

Harry was soon passing through the Leaky Cauldron and was calling the Knight Bus to him. The Sun had long set as Harry did not expect to spend that much time in Gringotts. H e resisted the urge to use magic as he knew that the Ministry could still detect him and although he was now legally able to use magic, it would not go with his newly changed plan, to be located. Tomorrow however, that would be the day that he began living his own life.

Stan quickly noticed who it was when the Bus skidded to a halt in front of the same hooded figure that rode the same morning. Harry flipped Stan a Galleon and brushed past him where he abruptly lay down on one of the comfy beds. A day of purely making discoveries had tired him out.

"Where to Mister, back to Surrey?" inquired Stan.

"No…Etherfield Village. Keep the change" he said, smiling as he did.

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**Author's Note:** Okay. Second chapter. When I set out to write this I originally wanted to go on into my story for a good while. Then I realised that it would be a bit long and tedious so the third chapter will be out soon! Anyway, I now have a yahoo group. I did this mostly so that I could provide files and pictures to accompany my fic; I will definitely be posting two things to accompany my next chapter! I know this might be a little tedious but there were just some things to get out of the way and it sets up the summer really. I would appreciate if everyone could tell me what you think of this chapter! Tell me what's good (something hopefully?) and what's bad. Anyway, I am going to respond to all those people who reviewed my first chapter! Thank you!

**Yugioh/Potter/Pokemon fan** – Thanks for reviewing. As for animagi, well, that **will** come into play. Can't say much more on that though : )

**Lady Phoenix Slytherin** – Thanks for reviewing!

**Gohan00** – Thanks : )

**dude 04** – Thanks for reviewing!

**Serpent of Light** – Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad that you did. As for manipulative Dumbledore, well, the relationship will go through some bumps but he won't be evilly trying to manipulate Harry. Can't say much more though. I did the letter from protocol because it was a more wide-range distribution of information rather than Auror thing but I know what you mean, lol. I _do_ have plans for the DA though they might be a little different from the standard thoughts on that. Very secret though that : ) Thanks for reviewing anyway!

Serpentine Phoenix


	3. Preparation

**Harry Potter and the Ethereal Flame**

**Author's Note:** Okay, last chapter received some positive feedback and so I decided to write this chapter and release it fairly soon after chapter 2. Also, it's my birthday! I am officially sixteen since July 30th and I am all happy and giddy! Anyway, I'll respond to reviews and post a bit of news concerning this chapter at the bottom of the chapter. Enjoy…

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**Chapter 3: Preparation**

The soft lingering light of day illuminated the small thatched cottages and rural looking buildings of Etherfield Village in northern England. A thick blanket of quiet had descended upon the village as the empty streets slithered through the cosy community; an eerie feeling lathering the village as night descended. Smoke, almost ghostly, permeated the night sky and masked the stars, seeping from the chimneys of the village houses, as the faint clinging smell drifted about the area with contented ease.

_Bang!_

The quiet of the village was shattered with the thunderous arrival of a scandalous looking triple-decker bus; painted a shocking purple. The arrival of said bus was an unheard of event in Etherfield, though that is really no surprise since the village was purely muggle. With a jutting sound, the doors of the bus opened and a cloaked figure leapt nimbly from the steps. The figure's face was hidden behind the shadows created by the overly large hood that framed the face and he briefly looked back through the doors where he gave a slight nod.

The pimply face of one Stan Shunpike leaned precariously from the bus as he bade the figure a good bye before pulling back, causing his stringy hair to fly about his head wildly, and shouting to the driver of said bus to start up again.

Once the bus had left, the cloaked figure cautiously pulled back the hood of his cloak to reveal messy black locks and piercing green eyes. His features were becoming more defined and it was clear that this figure was a teenager. Pulling a small wad of papers from the folds of his cloak, Harry Potter began to slowly make his way down the main road of the village towards what would be his new home.

Harry had found the papers, information pertaining to a Potter-owned property, in a cabinet in his family vault previously that day and after much deliberation, had decided that to train and take control; he had to be _totally_ independent. A home of his own would be highly beneficial and so he was currently walking through Etherfield Village to where his new home was apparently situated. As Harry walked through the village, he was cautious as the evening light smothered the comfort that daylight provided, but he also took notice of the various buildings and shops that lined the main road. There was a rather shabby looking pet shop to his right and one shop that he took particular notice of was a rather modern looking gym to his right. He assumed that this was a gym used by all the nearby villages as it did look out of place in such a small community, still, he took note of the gym and decided that he may visit it throughout the summer.

Looking down at the papers, he reread the important information to ensure he knew what he was doing.

_Potter Cottage  
__Original Owner: Eresea Potter (mother of Calamity Potter)  
__Location: Adaptable-Fidelius Charm – Near Etherfield Village (northern England) _

_I, Eresea, was the one to construct Potter Cottage as I worked as a wizarding architect. The cottage in itself is made for the simple use of preparation. _

_The Cottage also comes with a mass of land of which may be used as the master sees fit. _

_EDIT: I, Lily Evans-Potter, have visited the Cottage and found that it was a little out of date. I modernised it some and I hope that whichever Potter you are, that you use it well. _

_To find the Cottage, you must firstly travel to Etherfield Village and make your way down the main road. Carry on through Etherfield until you are travelling a road through some wooded area. Here, if you are a Potter (adaptable-Fidelius), you will see a small footpath leading into the woods to your right. Follow this and you will come to a statue of a stone lion. Here, you must accept the adaptable fidelius and then you shall be master of Potter Cottage._

_Adaptable-Fidelius Charm: This is highly similar to the fidelius charm, however, this charm is bound to a family line. If a Potter were to die who were master and keeper of Potter Cottage, then the Cottage would stay hidden until a Potter could **accept** the charm on the property. This is a very strong charm and useful for family generations. However, it does have its drawbacks. The charm will fail if the master/keeper dies and there are no other family members alive to accept the charm. Also, to accept the charm, one must firstly be of Potter descent and be given the location of acceptance. _

_The stone lion is the acceptance point and you must place your want tip on the forehead of the lion and utter the following incantation (note: this is not magic as you are only accepting the location of the property and that is the magic. The incantation is only **releasing** the magic): _

**_Domus locus ingravesco celo accipio cognomen_**

_Do not take this lightly and use the Cottage well!_

This information was all he really needed to get access to the Cottage and he was looking forward to it immensely. The fact that the place was already hidden was a bonus as he would not have to spend a lot of time trying to hide his home from Voldemort and Dumbledore. The apparent mass of land that accompanied the property was also a bonus and secretly, the fact that his mother had had a hand in the Cottage's current state, had swayed his decision.

Having now left the village, walking down the road through the wooded area, Harry couldn't help but feel nervous. Seeing the footpath to his right, he quickly took it as thoughts suddenly assaulted his mind. What if he was not accepted by the house? What if the ministry found out he had accepted some form of magic? How long would it be before the Order found he was no longer at Privet Drive? It was all rather nerve racking but he steeled himself, knowing that if he was going to go toe-to-toe with a powerful dark, no, _evil_ wizard, then he was going to have to toughen up. He didn't know where that just came from, he had always thought of Voldemort as a dark wizard, but did dark actually mean evil? After all, couldn't light magic be used in the same manner as supposed dark magic? He would have to think on this another time, as he saw the stone lion statue just ahead.

The statue of the lion radiated a sense of pride and dignity which Harry couldn't help but admire; even though the statue itself was chipped in places and looking rather worn. Taking a deep breath, Harry steadied himself whilst drawing his wand. It might have just been his imagination but he could have sworn that the statue seemed to be evaluating him. Shaking the thought from his head, Harry placed the tip of his holly wand on the forehead of the lion. Boosting his confidence with the fact that he was a Potter, Harry began to release the magic.

"Domus locus ingravesco celo accipio cognomen!" he roared.

At first, nothing happened, but then after a moment or two in which Harry was considering his failure; the lion began to vibrate gently. Then, after another moment or two of this in which Harry stood by hesitantly, the lion rose from its lay down position into a sitting stance; head held high and body resting on its haunches. Harry looked on as the lion's mouth suddenly opened and it gave a magnificent roar of approval. It was as the lion roared that Harry felt a weight settle on his mind; he figured that this was the fidelius charm, the secret! The phrase, _Potter Cottage is home to the Potter Line_, flashed through his mind and then seemed to settle with his mental burden; Harry assumed that this was the secret location name of which was the key to keeping his new home secret and safe; much like that of 12 Grimmauld Place.

Harry was distracted from his musing as much like 12 Grimmauld Place did when he first entered; the gate to Potter Cottage began to squeeze into existence in front of him. At first, the lion seemed to duplicate as another joined it to its left, but then a gate began to stretch between the two made from black metal, he assumed the same metal as his vault door, with the Potter crest emblazoned in the centre. He could not see over the gate or the fence of trees that supposedly surrounded the property, probably infused with magic for privacy and boundary establishments, and so he did the only thing that came to mind.

"Open!" he commanded in what he meant to be an authoritative voice, but came out as a hesitant mumble partly due to his awe and the slight fear that troubled his mind.

The two lions, either side of the black metal gate, rose in unison and gave their roars of which strengthened Harry's resolve, before the gate split down the middle and opened inward with a creak. What Harry saw before him almost made his heart stop; he was in _complete_ awe!

An expansive grassy land stretched before him, surrounded by wooded area. Directly in front of him lay a crude path of stone slabs that led to the front door of a small and cosy looking cottage. It was a two floor, square shaped cottage with a light thatched roof and large windows. A small chimney jutted from the thatched roof and soft light seeped from the windows. Someone was at home?

As he walked up the stone pathway, the metal gate closed behind him though it didn't worry him too much as this felt like home, as much as Hogwarts did at least. Looking around as he approached the cottage, he took notice of just how big the surrounding land he owned was. To his right, he could see a small area which he assumed was a wood chopping area; since he could make out the gleam of dimming light reflect upon the blade of an axe, embedded in a tree stump. To the back of the land was a small lake of clear water, standing out in front of a small wood. Harry didn't really have much time to look around but he promised himself that he would the next day, hopefully accompanied by a nice day of sunshine.

Standing before the front door of his new cottage, Harry was about to knock on the front door when it hit him that he owned this property and according to _Dumbledore_, he had no other relatives, so he reached out and opened the door. Stepping into a small porch, he found a small mirror on the wall and some hooks on the opposite wall, supposedly for coats. Hanging up his ratty cloak and about to proceed into the household via the wooden door in front of him, he finally noticed a small tray on the floor to his right that was white, decorated with only one word; Shoes. Deciding to go with it, he pulled of his trainers which were now covered with a healthy layer of mud and grime; he placed them onto the shoe tray. As soon as they were left upon the tray, the shoe tray vibrated slightly for a few seconds before settling again, leaving his trainers clean and shiny; though still ratty. Smiling to himself over the genius of such an item, Harry opened the door and stepped inside; greeted with a cosy warmth and smell of roasting chicken. Now his mind was definitely on edge since he should be the only one here and yet it was obvious that this place was being inhabited. Drawing his wand slowly from his jeans pocket, Harry lowered his body slightly into a somewhat crude duelling stance, before slowly advancing through the hallway.

A staircase rose upward to the right of the hallway and there was a mahogany door to the left of the staircase. The soft lighting of the house allowed Harry to see that the hallway continued a short while past the staircase to another mahogany door. He had a few options here; go upstairs, take the left door, take the door to the end of the hallway or get the hell out of there. Deciding to go through the door to his left since the most light seemed to be emanating from there, he cautiously twisted the doorknob before throwing the door open and launching himself into the room; of which he later realised was quite stupid. Still in duelling stance, he almost fell over when he saw who was stood shyly in front of him.

There, clad in a white woollen gown of crude workmanship, stood a house-elf in all its wide-eyed glory. The house-elf was obviously female and resembled Winky to a large degree. To say Harry was shocked was an understatement; he wasn't expecting this in the least!

"Er, you be my new master, sir?" asked the house-elf, wringing her hands and looking down at her feet continuously.

After a minute or two in which Harry stood completely dumbfounded, he found it in himself to answer her. "Yes, well, erm…no. I am owner of this cottage if that's what you mean? What's your name by the way?" asked Harry, his curiosity peaked.

"My name be Elle master and I be bound to the master of the cottage. I here to serve, sir," Elle replied.

"Yes, well, I guess this could work, but call me Harry please?"

"Yes Harry Potter sir, you be great wizard and it be an honour to serve you Harry sir!" she squeaked.

With a resigned sigh and shake of the head at house-elf antics, Harry stood up properly and began to look about the room. It showed that his mother had been involved in the decoration of the cottage as he looked about. The room he was in currently was two rooms connected by an archway; in effect making it one large room. The half of the room he was in now was more of a chill-out zone he figured as there were some comfortable looking sofas and chairs along with a muggle television to his left. To his right there was an expensive looking pool table that looked like a lot of fun and some books shelves, stacked with some, albeit out dated, muggle fiction, lined some of the walls.

Looking to Elle, Harry began to think of how hungry he was after his long and tiring day.

"Elle, is it possible for you to cook up some dinner please? I want to look around the cottage and if you could, then that would be great!" inquired Harry.

"Of course master Harry, I will get on it right away!" she asked with slightly watery eyes at how polite Harry was, and just before she popped away Harry could distinguish her muttering derive from what an honour it is to serve.

Again, shaking his head, Harry made his way into the second half of the massive room. Directly facing him was a huge fireplace with a mantelpiece bearing a few delicate ornaments and a decent sized pot of what he assumed, contained floo powder. In front of the fireplace were some cosy chairs a nice hearth rug. Also about the room were various bookshelves and an ornate chess table with opposing high backed chairs that made the game seem so…majestic! The large windows to the left of each half of the great room looked out toward the gate of the land and not much light filtered through since night was setting in; but the atmosphere was snug and comfortable. As he looked to the simmering embers on the fireplace, he noticed the mahogany door to his right. Walking through it he passed into the kitchen of the cottage where Elle was busying herself preparing food and drink. It was a very nice kitchen, quite modern of which he put down to his mother. There was a large, rounded table to his right where he assumed about eight people could eat comfortably. To the very bottom right of the kitchen was another door leading past a wall that created a square room in the kitchen.

When he asked Elle about this she shyly replied that it was her quarters and so moving directly right from coming into the kitchen he walked along the kitchen and the extremely small corridor that Elle's quarters created in the kitchen and through a mahogany door on the right. Walking through this he found himself back in the hallway and discovered that this door was the one he saw at the end of the hallway, past the staircase when he first entered the cottage.

Very content with the downstairs of the cottage, Harry made his way upstairs onto the first floor of the cottage. Upon arriving at the top of the stairs, he was greeted with a wall that belonged to a large room. To the left of the staircase was a door that led into the room. Standing in front of said door, there was a corridor to his left that led further on and to the very left another door leading into a decent sized room. Deciding to firstly enter the door he was in front of, he discovered a huge library that was stacked to full with books and bookcases. Deciding he would visit this later, he made his way to the other door just on the other side of the corridor. Walking through this he found a large bathroom with a shower, toilet, and bathtub and all in all, it was very luxurious. It was mainly comprised of green marble tops for the counters and a tiled floor; with a nice fur rug on the floor for warmth. Stepping out of the bathroom he ventured into the short corridor. It only led to a small dead end with a nice plant there for decoration. On either side though were rich mahogany doors. The closest door was the one on his left and so he entered. In all it looked to be a spare bedroom with only the essentials, but by no means shabby. It had a large bed and cupboards and a large desk to name a few. Stepping out he walked up to the second door which was on his right.

Walking inside he immediately knew that this was his room. Opposite of where he had entered, there was a large window that looked out onto the land and provided an amazing view of the lake, the wood and he knew this was heaven for Hedwig (who he was expecting to arrive soon since she was his familiar). The room was actually quite airy and radiated a feeling of freedom which Harry didn't _entirely_ put down to the fact that there were three windows to the room. In the far left corner was a large bed that looked _very_ inviting and in the alcove to his left sat a regal looking wardrobe. There were cupboards and an empty bookshelf in his room as well as an ornate desk that held some stores of ink, parchment and quills. A fur rug lat on the floor and all it needed now was a bit of a personal touch. For that however, he would need all his possessions from the Dursley's and also from his planned shopping trip the following day.

Remembering a line or two of information that was written in the sheaf of papers including the deed to Potter Cottage and some additional information, Harry began to make his way back to the library. The bit of information had included an interesting statement from Eresea telling of some powerful magical architecture that she added to the cottage. Harry was _very_ excited to see this.

Once inside the library Harry walked over to the wall looking out onto the back of the cottage and searched for the book entitled; _Open Your Mind to Magical Architecture by Eresea Potter_. Once he had found it, he quickly tapped it with his wand as indicated in the papers and the bookshelf creaked inward revealing a large room spanning the width of the cottage. Although this extra space was clearly not visible as a part of the cottage on the outside, it was an added space on the inside, very useful but ridiculously difficult to do. Thinking on that he had to smile with pride over his family's capability.

Walking inside the magical space, he found one long room that was divided by an archway, similar to the living room or games/chill-out rooms. In the first and larger part of the room was what Harry could only describe as a duelling space. It had a slightly raised platform on which to duel and the room was also home to many books concerning defensive and offensive magic in regards to duelling. The room also had man-shaped metal cut-outs upon the wall. He assumed that you had to fire spells at these; probably to discern spell power (AN: he's so perceptive isn't he, lol?). Walking into the second part of the room, Harry was filled with a momentary dread, but it soon disappeared as his resolve smothered it. He was not stood in what could best be described as a potions lab. Work benches and stools were polished and ready for use. All necessary potions supplies were ready for use and there was a small stock cupboard in which he assumed ingredients and more supplies were kept. Deciding that his requested food was most likely prepared by now he made his way back to the kitchen, fully pleased with the home he had chosen for his summer activities.

Entering the kitchen, his nostrils were coerced with the smell of chicken (cooked previously), roast potatoes, steaming vegetables, stuffing and all of it coated in nice layer of piping hot gravy. This was all mouth watering food and topped off with a mug of butterbeer and a chocolate pudding on standby; Harry had the intense feeling that he was being spoiled, but decided why let such culinary delights go to waste? Sitting down at the large circular table he dug in with vigour before noticing Elle standing by the table looking uncomfortably at Harry who assumed it was because she was not used to company. Deciding to do something, Harry immediately took action.

"So Elle, would you care to join me? After all, it was you that cooked such fine food, you must be hungry as well, why not join me?" asked Harry, trying to persuade Elle into joining him.

At first she looked decidedly uncomfortable, but after a puppy dog gaze from Harry, the masterful house-elf took a seat across from Harry. Harry continued to eat and compliment Elle on her talents in the kitchen at which she would blush or brush them off as if she did not deserve the compliments.

Deciding to be a little sneaky here, Harry became inspired by his dining table to lead Elle to a new way of thinking; though he highly doubted that Elle would take to it soon.

"So Elle, have you ever heard of the tales of King Arthur?"

"Yes, Harry sir," she replied, thoroughly unsure of where this conversation was headed.

"Well, you know that they believed all men were equal yes?"

"Yes Harry sir," she answered even more confused.

"Do you know how they symbolised this belief Elle?" he asked, tilting his head as if in thought as he spoke.

"No Harry sir."

"They sat at a _round_ table," he said in a devilish voice.

Elle was momentarily confused before she realised what shaped table they were both sat at. Her eyes went wide and she scampered from the table and stood to attention in front of Harry, her eyes pleading forgiveness. Quashing his feelings of guilt, Harry addressed Elle.

"Listen Elle, I may be your new _master_, but that doesn't mean that I am better than you. If I am out of line, I want you to tell me. If you ever need help, I want you to tell me. After all, just because you serve me, doesn't mean we can't be friends eh?"

Elle seemed to mull over this before nodding hesitantly. Harry beamed at her and then she some what reluctantly climbed back into her seat at the table. After a beautiful meal in which Harry and Elle discussed things concerning the grounds, cottage and Etherfield Village, Harry once again addressed Elle once she had cleared away the dinner dishes magically.

"Elle, could you do me a favour please?" he asked politely.

"Of course Harry sir," she replied with great enthusiasm, ready to undertake whatever task Harry had for her.

"I want you to travel to number 4 Privet Drive in Surrey, England and fetch my belongings. They are in the smallest bedroom of the house and they are all within a school trunk. Could you do that?"

"Yes, Harry sir," she replied before popping away.

After about a minute, Elle returned with his school trunk, bulging slightly from containing all the items within, floating magically behind her. He asked her to place it in his room and once done, bid her a good night before going upstairs to the library; he had one more thing to do before he could go to bed for some much needed sleep.

Stepping into the library, he closed the door securely behind him. If the ring that was currently attached to his left hand was as rare and powerful as the card from Calamity claimed, then he didn't want the knowledge that he has such a ring to pass to anyone; including Elle if he could help it. Turning the second protruding band on the ring a half turn clockwise, hearing the small clicking sounds as he did it, he felt the magic of the ring take effect. The ring emitted a light glow for a few seconds before Harry began to feel light headed until the ring stopped shining the slight white colour.

Still slightly disorientated, Harry looked up to see a mirror image of him standing there. The figure bore all the same features as Harry though instead of flesh, his embodied mind seemed to be made of a semi-physical white mist. It was not a shining white mist, but instead was a rather dull white which made it seem more real. It was hard to think that this was actually his mind, but he guessed he would have to get used to it so he greeted it with a smile of which it was returned.

Harry instructed his mind, as he didn't feel comfortable calling his embodied mind, Harry, that he should scour the library to determine where the library was weak and where it was strong as to decide what texts he should purchase the next day when he went shopping. His mind did as he asked and so Harry left the library, closing the door behind him before retiring to his room after a quick brush of the teeth. That night Harry fell asleep rather quickly, though not purely because he had had a tiring day, but because his ethereal counterpart was slowly draining his energy as he slept.

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**Author's Note:** Okay, third chapter here and I would appreciate it if you could tell me what you think of it? I was going to make this much longer and go onto the next day's shopping but then I thought that this was a good enough length for a reasonably quick update. I will post the next chapter within 5 days! I promise! It should be very interesting actually.

Also, if anyone would like to see a floor plan of Potter Cottage and a sketch of the surrounding lands etc. then just go to my yahoo group and files; I posted two things there! Also, there are some slight spoilers of things to come in the two plans.

Also, any of you artists out there fancy drawing the ethereal ring quite detailed to put on my yahoo group? If you can, let me know. You can contact me at:

Also, does anyone know what the following words mean in order and in English, if yes, then post the answer in a review**. **This is just for fun to see who knows it and to deepen your understanding of the spell.

Domus locus ingravesco celo accipio cognomen.

Yeah, so there you go! Now, onto review responses:

**kateydidnt** – Thanks for reviewing. As for the funeral, there won't be a body; it will be more like a memorial. I have plans for that, oh yes, it all comes together.

**TuxedoMac** - Thanks for the review and I am glad you like my story. I'm glad you got the ring as well; bit confusing, but this chapter should make it a little clearer as well as future chapters.

**Yugioh/Potter/Pokemon fan** – Thanks for the review and yes, they were deeds but with a little extra info. If you like Harry doing things for himself, you should like the next few chapters quite a lot; not saying anymore though.

**Serpent of Light** – Wow! What a review eh, you made me quite uncomfortable with how close you are hitting towards things in my plot, lol. Since you took the time to post such a long review, I think I will treat you to a bit of info; although it may not seem like it, it is not the last time that Harry will see the Dursleys, though it is quite far off. Anyway, I agree with everything you said, lol. The ethereal magics and the ring as far as I know are original material and I wanted to bring something different to my story, I hope you like them. They will develop and you will learn more about them in then coming chapters. As for the title, Ethereal Flame, this fits in with that and is quite quintessential to my plot. I have hinted towards its meaning slightly but you shall find out. As for mastering ethereal magic, we'll see. The ring is more than it seems. I was surprised you picked up on that as I thought most would skip past it but you are uncannily perceptive you know? I was hoping to develop it in secret but anyway, the ring will pose problems though it will be beneficial. And apart from this, it is also a device; two birds with one stone and all that eh. I also like adjectives by the way, I like reading really imaginative works that are quite descriptive; I also look out for them. Yours isn't weak on adjectives either, you seem to have found a balance that pleases the reader either way; something I am aspiring to. Erm, I think when I eventually go back to each chapter to correct spelling etc. I may include more info on Stan as I realised he wasn't defined enough in the previous chapter. I did put a slight description in above, but not much. As for transport; let's just say numerous things eh? At least you didn't pick up on _every_ hint I put in the previous chapter, some things are still secret : ) Anyway, thanks for reviewing and I hope that you enjoyed my third chapter!

**BloodRedSword** – Thanks for the review! This will **not** be slash and Harry will not get with either Hermione or Ginny. I do have plans for some romance (not sloppy hopefully) in which will develop realistically (in my mind) through out the story.

Thanks everyone for reviewing and tell me what you think of this chapter! **REVIEW!** Erm…please /blushes/

Serpentine Phoenix


	4. Acquisition Part 1

**Harry Potter and the Ethereal Flame**

**Author's Note:** Well, positive feedback on chapter three, very happy with that! Nice to see a few of you have joined my yahoo group, hope to post some more files to accompany the story as I go along as well! I promised that this chapter would be longer than the last as I cut the last one short, so it is! The next chapter will be the second part of Harry's shopping and then the chapter after that gets right into the thick of it. Training and Dumbledore's reaction etc. will be included!I hope you enjoy…

In my fic, the currency will go as follows:

1 Galleon = £5.10 – five pound, ten pence  
1 Sickle = £0.30 – thirty pence  
1 Knut = £0.01 – one pence  
(Very rough I know)

}parseltongue{

* * *

**  
Chapter 4: ****Acquisition Part 1**

Tentatively, Elle crept through the door to the master bedroom of Potter Cottage, attempting to clean up without Harry waking. However, the light of dawn managed to snake its way past the softly stirring curtains that masked the windows, effectively striking Harry's eyes and so waking him from his deep slumber. Looking about, Harry could see Elle with an arm-full of cleaning supplies, which puzzled him slightly, frozen in place in mid swipe with a duster.

"Good morning Elle," whispered Harry in a faintly rasping voice, still tired from the previous day's events.

"Morning Harry sir," she replied, obviously relieved that there was no consequence for her waking her master, as she believed it.

Deciding to rise so that he could have an early start to what promised to be an eventful day, Harry made his way out of his room. Gathering his wits as consciousness returned to him, Harry quickly turned into the library before he could take his intended shower. Having only had about seven hours sleep, Harry deduced that his ethereal-self had about another five hours before the ring needed to recharge.

Stepping into the library, Harry turned on the lights, the faint musty smell of the library comforting him some. Finding his other-self only a few bookshelves away, Harry confronted him, asking if he had managed to evaluate the library's current state. After a confirming statement, which surprised Harry a little as he had not yet heard him[self] speak, Harry turned the second band on his ring anticlockwise a half turn, effectively ending the process. His counterpart, who had been embodied with some form of dull white mist, seemed to dissipate in front of him, though he felt a part of his mind once again complete; feel _whole_. Wondering about the library's state, the information and knowledge obtained whilst his mind had been embodied seemed to stampede to the front of his mind, akin to violent flashes, until he knew all of what his counterpart did. Although this process was not painful in anyway, it did bring a very uncomfortable sensation; one that he again decided he would have to get used to.

Walking from the library to the bathroom, eagerly anticipating a nice steaming shower, Harry began to mull over all the new found information he had just gained. The library was slightly out dated and was strong in what were the _key_ subjects; charms, transfiguration, potions, herbology, arithmancy, runes etc. This library itself was very well categorised and also had an extremely large section devoted to magical theory. The library was weak however in more modern books and magical techniques, it lacked the modern information that the current day provided. Deciding to deal with this when he arrived at Diagon Alley a little later, Harry snatched a warm, black towel from the linen cupboard in the bathroom, before hopping under the shower faucet.

As the water from the shower massaged his back, Harry tackled the problem of what to call his mental counterpart. Deciding that calling him Harry would just be highly uncomfortable, Harry began to think on it. His train of thought flew from Ethereal to Ether to just plain Ethan. Yes, Ethan would do. So, thinking on the tasks of the day, Harry decided that he would embody Ethan yet again tonight. That way, as he slept, he could set Ethan to reading books and so put the knowledge gained at night, to use in the day. Perfect!

Dripping wet, Harry shuffled back to his room, trying desperately to manage the difficult task of walking in a towel whilst trying to not get the hallway carpet too wet. Arriving back in his room, Harry took the chance of looking into the wardrobe there, but was sorely disappointed when he found no cloths. Slipping back into his previously worn jeans, t-shirt and jacket, Harry made his way downstairs where Elle was busy popping about the kitchen; cooking as only a house-elf can.

Sitting at the table, only having to give a slight verbal push to have Elle join him, Harry dug into the fabulous food. Wondering where Elle had bought the cleaning supplies and food etc. that were evident within the cottage whilst it had no master, Harry settled on asking her.

"Say Elle, how and where did you buy those cleaning products I saw you with this morning. The food also, the house has had no master yet you managed to get all these things?" Harry questioned politely.

"Well, Harry sir, we house-elves have markets that we buy all our things like food for the masters. They be full of all things a house-elf need Harry sir." She spoke tentatively as if confessing some well-kept secret.

"And how is that you buy these things? Are they free? What currency is used?" asked Harry, now clearly interested in where the conversation was going.

"The masters have house funds of wizard money, we use this fund to buy all things needed but when it is empty, we can not buy no more," she said, the picture of innocence.

"This cottage has a fund then?" and after a nod from Elle, he continued, "Well then, how full is it?"

"It be nearly gone sir, I try to make it last but it cost lot of money on markets," now in a tone of pleading.

"I understand Elle. There's only one thing for it then; refill the fund. I'll see to it today Elle, no worries."

"Yes Harry sir."

"Where is the cottage fund located Elle?" he asked, curiosity blooming once again.

"Tis behind the painting of Eresea Potter in the potions place, behind the books. Need to say password though, because she wanted it hidden well," stated Elle, obviously proud of her knowledge.

Smiling at Elle kindly, Harry spoke again, "What's the password?"

"Use it well. Mistress had said it was, 'an ever passing message from Potter to Potter' when she set it up."

"Thanks Elle, I'll deal with that today then."

After that, the conversation turned to more neutral topics like the weather, which for some reason, captivated Elle. After finishing up his breakfast and giving a hearty thank you to Elle, Harry decided that he should take a look around the grounds, especially considering the shops of Diagon Alley wouldn't be open yet (remembering the time spent there in the summer before third year).

After pulling on his, rather clean, trainers, Harry threw on his rough cloak, clasped loosely about his neck with the large hood hanging down his back. Walking from the cottage and out into the open air, a rewarding sense of freedom seemed to wash over him. Before that moment, his independence had seemed to him something in his mind, not quite real. Now however, it seemed so tangible that he could almost taste it.

As he just took the time to look around at the land and the entire natural richness that surrounded him, his thoughts turned to magic. He knew he was legally able to use it but he didn't want the Order to be able to track him or want the ministry to know what spells he was performing; especially about which spells. He decided that under a fidelius charm he was safe to do magic as he pleased without being tracked or watched, but outside of Potter Cottage, that was another matter. It was just one more thing on his _to do_ list really; one of the first things to take care of.

Walking to the left of the cottage, Harry came across the axe embedded in a tree stump. Seeing logs scattered about this area, he knew it was for chopping wood. No doubt for the fireplaces inside, but Harry had a rough plan forming in his mind. Always thinking of his training, Harry was relating this wood to something he could do. The idea was crude and very basic, but if it could help, then he was going to do it. Deciding he would get to this in the next few days, Harry began to walk on.

Towards the back of the land, there was just an expanse of grassy land of which he thought would be good for flying maybe; something which excited him as he was not normally able to fly during summers. Deciding he could come to that another time he turned to the back of the cottage where a large, slightly raised platform ran from the back of the cottage a good length. He recognised it as a duelling platform as it was sturdy and was an excellent size and shape for duelling; a good amount of room in both width and length. Stationed around the platform were, what looked like wooden poles, jutting from the ground. There was one to each end of the platform, and three stationed at intervals to each side of the platform. They rose to about ten feet in the air and seemed to change colour from a brown wood to a metallic blue. He had read of these eagerly in the information on the cottage that he had taken from his family vault. These were _weather protection poles_. They, when activated, would form a roof of energy, spanning from each pole and effectively stopping rain etc. should the duellers wish.

Deciding to try it out, he followed the instructions that were in the information on the cottage. Walking up to the nearest pole, Harry placed the tip of his wand to it and focused on the poles connecting.

"Propago," he whispered.

Immediately, the poles altered to their metallic blue colour and an energy of the same colour spread from each pole. The energy merged and formed a roof over the duelling platform. To Harry, the roof looked like a slightly glowing sheet of flexible plastic, though he could feel the strength and substance of it by just standing there. Deciding to end it as he wished to explore the rest of the land, Harry again placed his wand tip to the nearest pole, focusing on the energy roof retreating into the poles.

"Recipio," he whispered and as he did, the energy receded into the poles and the poles returned to slowly swirling between metallic blue and wooden brown colours.

Past the outdoor duelling platform to the right of the cottage, another grassy expanse lay before him, which as he viewed, found its way into his crude plan inspired by the wood chopping spot. Moving to the bottom of the land, a small lake of clear water curled about the land; looking cold but inviting. Thinking that he could maybe go for a swim throughout his stay at Potter Cottage, Harry smiled before looking past the lake into a small wood; separate from the wood surrounding his land. It looked rather dark and ominous, but for some reason that he couldn't explain, it felt _right_ and he decided there and then that he would visit it.

Turning back and making his way to the cottage, Harry soon came to the front door. Once he had walked into the kitchen, Harry found Elle busying herself with washing the breakfast dishes. Quickly telling her that he was going out for most of the day, but would be back tonight, Elle took it upon herself to go on a full cottage cleaning spree ready for Harry's return.

Heading upstairs once more to his room, Harry placed the chain with both his trust fund and family vault keys on, around his neck. He attached his money pouch to his belt and made sure his wand was accessible in his jeans pocket before placing his invisibility cloak into his worn backpack. Purposely avoiding the fireplace in the main room, due to ill favour, Harry decided that the Knight Bus would do for today, but today only. Now looking the part of a muggle except from his loose cloak, Harry left the cottage after bidding Elle a brief goodbye.

Once he had passed the metal gates of Potter Cottage, with a quick 'Open!" Harry was quick to travel the dirt path leading to the main road that came through Etherfield Village. He needed to get nearer the village because he didn't want his location, if anyone were to deduce his identity, to be known. Now by the edge of the village, with still no muggles about since it was still early, Harry pulled up the large hood of his cloak to hide his face and wrapped it about his figure slightly before raising his right hand, wand held tightly.

_Bang!_

The Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of Harry, though Harry forced himself not to jump back in alarm, as it had come particularly fast. The doors jutted open and the conductor, Stan Shunpike, appeared with his stringy hair and Harry noted a slight faint bruising on his nose.

"Oh, it's you again! Where to this time?" he asked, though the slight undertone of suspicion was evident.

This puzzled Harry as Stan had been fine with him the previous day. Ignoring this for the moment, Harry told Stan he was off to Diagon Alley and paid him, with extra for a hot chocolate to warm his bones. Once settled in a seat, a mug of hot chocolate cupped in his hands, Harry took the time to look around at the few people on the bus. An old man sat a few rows in front of him, hunched slightly and wrapped in a purple cloak with yellow robes shining through. A few women were to the back talking in hushed whispers over a Daily Prophet, no doubt gossiping he reasoned. Deciding to make conversation with Stan who he noticed had his hand on his wand and stood only a few paces away from him.

"So Stan, what happened to your nose eh?" he questioned, keeping his tone polite.

After a brief stare in which he seemed to be evaluating Harry, Stan finally answered. Speaking his words slowly, he said, "There were some robed men who boarded into the night. Rough crowd, had some drink in them no doubt. We were to take them to a port to the south, but at some point in the journey they began to harass some passengers; passengers of 'lesser' blood as they claimed. In the end, it came to blows but this bus has plenty of defences and the Aurors soon came and all was all. All I suffered was a broken nose which was quickly fixed, the bruising should be gone by tomorrow."

Harry suddenly understood Stan's suspicion of him and had to remind himself that he was acting quite mysteriously, all cloaked in black.

"You have nothing to fear by me Stan; I assure you I strongly oppose such things. Now, what did you say the protections on the bus were?" Harry asked, now quite interested.

Stan seemed to relax, mostly due to the conviction in his words but still refused to divulge the protections that the bus carried, so Harry settled; assuring himself that he would find out at a later date, no doubt as Harry Potter.

After Stan informed him that they would arrive at the Leaky Cauldron in just under a half hour, Harry decided to check his backpack to ensure he had everything. At the very bottom of the backpack, Harry found the leaflets that he had picked up in the Alley the other night. Deciding to look through them as he had some time to pass, he chose one from the store, Basalinda's Bags and Trunks, and began to flick through it. There were some interesting trunks and different kinds of bags which interested him. He had seen a trunk in his family vault that he wanted so he skipped to the satchel section as he was in need of a new book bag for school. One especially caught his eye. Below a picture of the satchel, it read:

**_The New: Silvertongue Satchel  
_**_This satchel is the latest in magical storage technology. It is highly protected against theft, damage and visual penetration. The satchel is also internally expanded to allow the user with maximum space for those everyday things. With password access, this satchel is the paramount for privacy, to be set by the owner. Also, the satchel comes with customisable clasps and an optional, customisable stitching design on the opening flap. Lined with reverse-spelled Demiguise hair enforced with spells to prevent visual penetration and made from the finest dragon hide or leather, the Silvertongue Satchel is extremely stylish. Also comes in various colours.  
__Prices vary. _

Harry decided there and then that he was going to buy this. It was useful and looked extremely stylish. Plus, he needed a satchel for school, so why not go all out? The way he saw it, it made up for a portion of no presents _ever_ for ten miserable years of his life. With the thought of his new satchel, Harry's spirits were lifted and he sat back in his seat, contented, as he watched unconcerned as a large building leapt out of the way of the manic bus.

Stepping into Diagon Alley, Harry attracted the attention of a few passers-by; no doubt because of his cloak, but he ignored them and proceeded. Making his way to Gringotts, he thought that this would be the best place to start his day. Walking into the magnificent building, Harry made for a nearby Goblin. Walking up to the high counter, which he never really liked because it seemed as if the Goblins, despite their smaller stature, were trying to lord over you and express their superiority. That is one reason that he liked Griphook a lot, because he sat at a level desk.

"I would like to visit both my trust fund and family vaults, please," he said in a polite voice to the oily looking Goblin.

"Key?" he demanded in a sharp voice.

Handing over his keys, the Goblin returned them after a brief inspection, about to call a Goblin.

"Excuse me, could Rushkov escort me?" he requested.

This seemed to effectively shock the Goblin as he stared incredulously at Harry. After a few moments of oppressive silence, the Goblin called Rushkov, who Harry greeted warmly; or at least with familiarity.

Once in a cart leading to the vaults, Harry instructed Rushkov to take him to his family vault first. When Rushkov had assisted in opening the vault door, Harry stepped in and prepared to gather all that he wanted. The previous day during the hours that he had spent in there, he had devised a mental check list of all the items that he wanted. Firstly, Harry walked over to the left of the vault where a trunk lay. The trunk was of a dark mahogany, with silver hinges and finish. It was roughly the same size as his school trunk, though with a curved lid, looking all the part of a chest. On the curved lid was the word 'POTTER' in silver and on the front of the trunk, four small circles were spaced evenly. Having already read the attached card the previous day, Harry knew how to use the trunk. He knew that it had four compartments; one for each silver circle on the front. Placing a finger onto the first circle, Harry began to set passwords as instructed on the card.

"Password," he said, and then decided to use the Potter phrase, though in parseltongue, as it increased the privacy and security of his new trunk.

}Use it well{ he spoke, small hisses escaping his mouth.

He then proceeded to do the same for each circle, always stating password before the phrase. It was especially good as once the password has been set, one needs to know the current password before changing it; a very useful touch.

Opening the first compartment, he looked inside to find that it was roughly double the size of what it appeared on the outside. The second and third compartments were also like this. The fourth compartment however was a small room, much like the last room in Moody's trunk, and a narrow ladder was fixed to the right hand side of the trunk to allow access.  
Collecting all the books and a few photo albums that were in the vault, Harry placed them all inside the fourth compartment. There were quite a lot of books ranging from transfiguration to divination and so he decided to take them all. Also taking a comfy leather chair that he had a fondness and a space in his room for, Harry placed that in the same trunk compartment. Harry then, with the utmost care, rolled up his family tapestry showing countless generations of Potters and then placed that in the room-compartment also.

There were only a few more things that Harry had seen that he wanted from his vault. He had already decided that he wanted to take his money out of his trust fund vault, which he estimated would last quite a few years yet, before taking money from his family vault; it just made more sense to drain the trust fund first. Walking about the vault, he managed to find the ring, non-magic this time, which had so captivated him the other day. It was a simple silver ring in the shape of a thin, oriental dragon, curled and eating its own tail, with a sharp jagged skull. Placing it on the index finger of his right hand, Harry found he liked it. He also found a few cloak claps, made of silver, which he had come to see was a common thing with Potters, engraved with the Potter family crest; a simple winged shield with a roaring silver dragon behind it, its tail curled about the base of the shield.

Placing the clasps into the last trunk compartment, he also placed a very basic sword in there. It was one hung on the wall of the vault, very basic but he assumed that maybe he could practise with it a few times; after all, Godric Gryffindor's sword had definitely proved its worth in the Chamber of Secrets.

Leaving and locking his family vault, he and Rushkov made their way in the cart to his trust fund, trunk in toe. Once there, Harry began to fill the third compartment of his trunk with Galleons, Sickles and Knuts; roughly three hundred Galleons, not including the descent amount of Sickles and Knuts.

Once done there, Harry was escorted back to the main lobby of Gringotts where he once again approached a Goblin.

"Excuse me; I was wondering if there is any way that you could accommodate me. Do you offer any form of money access, without having to carry around a lot of money?" he asked, hoping that they were in some ways similar to muggle banks.

"Name?" demanded the brisk voice of the Goblin.

"Harry Potter," he whispered.

"Key?" he asked, still in his sharp manner.

Handing it over, the key seemed to confirm his identity.

"Yes, we do offer Gringotts Cards. These are accepted in most of Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and, due to our high technology charms, are accepted all over the muggle world; seems they appear as a _Visa_ or some such."

"Great, how much does it cost for one of these cards?" he asked, slightly wary of Goblin nature now.

"Just a small fee, that of six Galleons."

Deciding that the fee was reasonable, Harry handed the money over from his money pouch on his belt, which still remained quite full after the payment. Taking the offered card, it was plain and laminated the size of a credit card and icy blue in colour. It had his name and an account number on, a small swipe strip and the words 'Gringotts Bank' emblazoned on the top right. After a brief examination of his new card, Harry decided to get back to business.

"Also, I would like to arrange for my house-elf to come and pick up a sum of one thousand Galleons from my trust fund vault tonight. Can that be done?" he asked, wary but feeling as if he was but a foolish child, dealing with intelligent Goblins.

"Yes, that can be organized, though it will require the small fee of fif…" he was interrupted by the sound of another Goblin's voice.

"No fee. This is an acquaintance of mine and it would not do well to swindle such a wealthy and valuable customer, Victrem," sounded the voice of none other than Griphook.

Turning about and stooping to one knee, Harry shook the hand of Griphook with enthusiasm, glad to see a familiar face.

"It's good to see you Griphook!" he said warmly.

"Yes, your transaction will be taken care of, I will see to it; with _no_ fee. Now, I am glad to have run into you Mr. Po…Harry, as I was about to mail this to you," he said, holding out another small, laminated card.

Looking at it, Harry saw a picture of himself, not knowing when said picture had been taken, on an ID card. It listed his name, birthday, a numbered code and an expiry date.

"Yours wizard identification Harry, now that you are legally an adult, you receive this early. It is proof that you are an adult, keep it about you young Harry," he warned.

"Thank you Griphook!" he spoke sincerely.

After a brief good bye, Harry was out of Gringotts and back in the Alley. Taking a few seconds to ensure that his cloak was securely wrapped about himself and his hood hiding his face, Harry began to walk on. His trunk was safely in his pocket, as he didn't want it in his backpack, though he made sure that the pack was held securely and his wand in quick reach.

The first place to go was Knockturn Alley, as he was in need of masking his magical activity from the Ministry. He had been in one store there once before and knew that it dealt with a wide range of products and back-hand things. Turning off of Diagon Alley and into Knockturn, Harry walked briskly down the steps; descending into darkness.

As he walked through the dark street, glancing at the various shops that lined it, Harry made his way towards Borgin and Burkes. He also noticed the dingy figures and crouching hags littering the Alley and he could not hold back his disgust over such…_weakness_! These people had no ambition, they had no commitment; they had no _power_! He wasn't going to end up like one of these; he was going to make a difference!

Arriving at Borgins and Burkes, Harry opened the door, ignoring the sounding bell and with a purposeful stride, approached who he remembered to be Mr Borgin.

"Yes sir? What can I help you with on this fine day?" he asked; his voice oily and his smile fake.

"I have come today to purchase some of your, how you say…less respectable items," said Harry, trying desperately to keep his voice smooth and uncaring.

At this, Borgin's face seemed to frown before the fake smile was once again plastered over his deeply etched features. Being only a small man, slightly overweight with, thin, oily hair, outgrown and unkempt; Borgin reminded Harry deeply of Wormtail. Borgin's hunched stature and snivelling, submissive eyes mostly though and Harry found it hard to keep the disgust from his voice or posture.

"What is it you would be looking for then, sir?" he inquired.

"Firstly, I want a way to hide my magical activity from the fools at the Ministry. It seems that they would keep an eye on me, and some magics, when in practise, are not meant for public knowledge. Don't you agree?"

"But of course sir. Now then, I think I might have just the thing. Let me step into the back for a moment or two. Feel free to browse the store, you may find something to your liking." He spoke now with some twisted, foul hope that he could receive more money at the end of the day and Harry, though not liking it, would service his desire.

Walking slowly about the store, Harry looked at books and items; all of which emanated a dark aura, though this did not bother Harry as the objects were not _evil_.

Picking up as many books as he could find on any subjects that seemed interesting or on which his home library was weak on; Harry soon had a worthy pile of books in front of him. Placing them all on the counter, he had books ranging from some obscure magics to lesser known common spells (as in things the Ministry would rather keep to the Ministry). Most of his collection though was comprised of books pertaining to the 'dark arts' and he was unnerving eager to take a peek. Yes, today he would have quite the many acquisitions to his cottage library.

With Borgin still not back from his rummaging in the back, of which Harry could hear as boxes were thrown aside, Harry once again began to look around the store. Coming to a few shelves with minor weaponry on, Harry began to peer closely at a few. Coming to a dagger, Harry could immediately tell that he was going to purchase it.

The dagger had a thin ivory hilt, inlaid with thin silver interconnecting lines; making it look very intricate, yet at the same time, magnificently plain. The blade of the dagger was only about six inches, in balance with the hilt which was just big enough for a single hand to fit snugly. The dagger had no cross-guard; instead, the ivory handle merged with the steel blade. It gave off the feeling that it was non-magical, but it had seen some battle. Next to the dagger, a plain, black leather sheath lay, attached to a leather strap; just big enough to fit on a leg, or so Harry assumed.

Picking it up, and placing it in its sheath, Harry carried it over to the counter with his other purchases; just as Borgin emerged from the back, carrying a small bit of old parchment and his wand. Immediately, Harry's hand darted to his wand that was always within reach and he had it pointed at Borgin within seconds; his hand steady.

"Steady now, young sir. I mean you no harm; I just have to perform the spell to grant you immune to the Ministry's sensors. No need to worry over it; hold your wand to me if you want while I do it," he stated calmly, though his eyes shone beadily.

"No, that's alright," Harry stated and Borgin's eyes shone slightly. "Besides, a spell might take to long to cast, should you try anything. No, I think I will hold _this_ to your throat as you cast it," he whispered with a hint of menace, indicating the dagger.

Borgin's eyes dimmed with fear before he spoke again, "Yes, that's a rare item, it is. A fine sword, made by the Goblins and used during the Rebellions, they say."

It suddenly made sense; the fine craftsmanship, the muggle style (contrary to popular belief, he _did_ learn something in History of Magic class) and the belt of which would fit a Goblin's waist. Thinking of Griphook, Harry seemed to warm to the blade even more.

Gulping audibly, Borgin approached Harry and placed his wand tip to Harry's chest whilst Harry snaked the blade to rest dangerously against Borgin's throat; pressing just slightly into the yellow, coarse skin.

Whispering unintelligibly, Borgin cast the spell and once done, it felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders that he hadn't noticed was there.

"There, all done sir," he said, somewhat jovially.

"I'll trust that this spell works; if not, well, I'll come for you," he said with venom, yet not very confidently; luckily, Borgin was slightly distracted by the blade still pressed to his throat.

"It does sir, it does. Now, how about we ring up these fine items eh?" he asked.

Removing the blade and sheathing it, Harry placed it on the counter again with his other items whilst Borgin priced it all up. Taking his trunk from his pocket, Harry used his wand and returned the trunk to its actual size, then opened the third compartment; with the trunk's back facing Borgin so he couldn't see all the gold contained there.

"That will be…46 Galleons, 6 Sickles and 22 Knuts," smiling all the while.

Harry didn't think that he had bought _that_ much but agreed to the price as he _did_ have quite a few books, a Goblin sword (his dagger) and the Ministry off his back. Once he had paid the required amount, Harry placed all his new items into the fourth compartment of his trunk, which was getting rather full now, before shrinking it again and placing it back into his pocket.

Walking from the store, Harry took the time to look about the Alley as he made for Diagon Alley. It was as he neared the entrance of Diagon Alley that he noticed a small, dingy shop named, Eye Care: See to it! Thinking of his glasses that were a constant bother and the danger they posed if they were lost or broken during a duel, Harry entered the shop.

Surprising him slightly, the store was very airy and light inside. There was a pine counter to the left of the door where a thin, yet athletic looking man sat, short brown hair and sculpted facial hair visible as he leaned over a Quidditch magazine; reading with enthusiasm.

"Ah hem," coughed Harry to gain the man's attention.

"Oh, sorry there," he apologised as he looked up, startled, from his magazine. "What can I do for you young sir?" his tone polite, though his eyes curious as he took in Harry's cloaked form and hidden face.

Assuming he must be used to cloaked figures doing business in Knockturn Alley, as no wand was drawn, Harry informed him that he was after some way to correct his eyesight. The man seemed to ponder for a moment, before nodding to himself, and then walked over to Harry.

"We do have a potion that you can take. It will heal any ailments of the eyes, though it is quite painful. We suggest to anyone purchasing it that they should take it over night, as we can mix in a sleeping potion. That way, the pain is only felt in the morning as a slight headache which can be easily fixed with a simple potion, though the cost is a bit more as the sleeping potion must be carefully fused with the eye-correction potion. So, what will it be?" he asked amiably.

"I think I'll take the over-night potion please. By any chance do you have the potion to get rid of the headache the next day on sale?" asked Harry, his stomach turning at the prospect of a morning of pain.

"That we do young man, but again, it will cost you that bit more."

"That's fine, just ring it up please."

"Sure thing," he replied.

That said, the man reached under the counter and pulled two vials out from a draw, one a sickly green and the other a light yellow. Both vials were labelled with some small instructions on as well. He placed the two into a brown paper bag, assuring Harry that they were tightly stopped and that the vials had unbreakable charms placed on them.

"That will be 23 Galleons please; a fair price."

Handing over the money, Harry left the shop with his potions in the second compartment of his trunk along with his backpack. When he finally made it to Diagon Alley, Harry was a little apprehensive as he had already spent a fair amount of money and now here he was about to spend a whole lot more.

Not knowing where to go first, Harry decided on getting the satchel that he so wanted. Heading directly for Basalinda's Bags and Trunks, Harry was soon inside. Looking about, he soon realised that this was a very trendy store, desperately keeping up with the latest designs and fashions. A few people were meandering about the store, dressed much like Tonks, in colourful and quirky outfits. Walking over to the counter, Harry came face to face with a woman with bright yellow hair and purple eyes. Shocked, he didn't really have time to notice the white toga she was wearing.

"Yeah?" she asked with a cheerful but rough accent.

"I want the new Silvertongue Satchel, please," he said, keeping his tone friendly.

"Know how much one o' them cost eh?" this time in a disbelieving tone.

Reminding himself that he was still darkly clad, Harry pulled out the leaflet that was still in a cloak pocket and threw it gently onto the counter.

"Prices vary," he said, kind of elated by how cool that sounded.

"Well, yeah, suppose so. What ya want on it then?" she asked; seeming more interested in Harry with his implied disregard for money.

"I would like to have one made from Hebridean Black dragon hide with silver clasps, engraved with the letter 'P'. I want the stitching on the front to be done in silver stitch as a picture of a Hebridean Black. Can that be done?" he questioned.

"Yeah, it'll be ready in a few hours alright? That will cost you 27 Galleons."

Harry handed over his Gringotts Bank card, which surprised her slightly, before she swiped it through the till.

"Thank you, you can pick it up in about three hours then."

Harry had chosen the Hebridean Black dragon hide and design because, from looking about his family vault, Harry had discovered that the dragon on the Potter crest was a Hebridean Black. Apparently, this was because the ancestral home of the Potters is located within the archipelago of Hebrides to the west of Scotland (Hebridean Black's native lands) and the dragon was seen as something to aspire to as a Potter; powerful, solitary and dangerous.

So, happy with his satchel being made, Harry decided on visiting Flourish and Blotts as he knew he would need to modernise his library back at Potter Cottage. Once there, Harry entered and began to walk about the store which was rather busy at the moment. It always made Harry feel akin to the wizarding world when he walked amongst the spiralling and twisting towers of books and walkways of papers and wooden bookshelves. Having picked up an internally expanded cauldron basket, Harry was now ready to collect any and all books that he deemed fit; assisted by Ethan's over view of the cottage library.

Browsing through the store, Harry picked up as many modern books as he could pertaining to transfiguration, charms, potions, defence against the dark arts, herbology, ancient runes, arithmancy, magical creatures, magical theory, history of magic, duelling, wizarding laws and customs, obscure magics, offensive and defensive magics, magical rituals, healing, some Auror-based books, wizarding cultures, apparating, anamagi and even a few on divination. The way Harry saw it was that although he was training to seek vengeance; once his thirst for justice has been quenched, then he would like to maybe become a scholar in a wide range of magics. The more he thought about a career as an Auror, the less appealing it became. He didn't like to suffer at the hands of an evil wizard and so why would he _choose_ a life of it? To Harry, a career exploring the possibilities of magic sounding _very_ tempting and so, he was keeping his options open.

Content with his choices in books, Harry moved to the counter to pay for it all. When he piled all his books upon the counter, the shop assistant there just looked at him incredulously, clearly doubting his ability to pay for such a mighty selection of books.

"How much?" he asked, his voice muffled from within the folds of his hood.

After ringing up the purchases and filling at least twenty large bags, the books were all packaged.

"That will be…172 Galleons, 14 Sickles and 7 Knuts," said the assistant, shock lacing his voice.

"Here," replied Harry as he handed over his Gringotts Bank card.

With all his books safely in the end compartment of his trunk, effectively filling it, Harry was back out in Diagon Alley. The nearest store that he had planned to visit was Olivander's wand store where he had received his holly wand back before his first year at Hogwarts, so he made for it.

Entering, ignoring the faint bell sound as he did so, Harry was once again immersed in the musty store where the thin beams of faint light highlighted settling dust. He could see no sign of Olivander and so just took the time to look about. It was deathly quiet and the smell of fresh wood and dust attacked his nostrils, though the magic in the air was palpable.

"Mr Potter," sounded the clear and almost hypnotic voice of Olivander.

Harry startled and turned around quickly, only to come face to face with Olivander himself. Harry relaxed some, but those shining, misty eyes of Olivander seemed to keep him on edge. "What is it I can do for you?"

"I'm here to buy a second wand," Harry spoke, feeling like a child in the presence of Olivander.

"You know, wands are tricky business as far as the Ministry is concerned. One wand per person and certain…_species_, being denied them, all very unstable business. I hope that you haven't out grown your holly wand, or maybe broken it? Or perhaps, you _need_ another yes?" his clear voice held a mysterious quality.

"I want another as when I fought Voldemort; problems arose between our two wands," replied Harry.

"Yes, I thought they would. No matter, I can't give you another wand; not _yet_ at least, your holly should suffice for the time being."

"Why not?" Harry asked, put down slightly.

"I have seen it. You shall have another wand Mr Potter, but not now."

"When will I be able to get a second then?"

"I will tell you. There are certain…things that need to play out before your wand will be made. Patience is a virtue Mr Potter and maybe never before has that saying been so true."

"Fine, then can I have some wand care products and books, and also a wand holster?" he asked.

"That Mr Potter, I can do. Now, what holster would you prefer? We have…dragon hide, leather, and a Tebo hide also; quite expensive."

"I think I'll take the Tebo hide please."

"Fine choice, now, books and some polish and…" Olivander continued to mumble as he collected various things according to Harry's request. Once done, Harry ended up paying a hard 23 Galleons. Placing his wand care products into his trunk, he took his new Tebo hide wand holster which was a fine looking ash colour and placed his wand inside. Strapping it onto the underside of his right forearm, Harry was shocked as the holster turned invisible. After remembering from his care of magical creatures text that the Tebo also had the power to turn invisible, he put this down to the invisibility staying in the hide of the holster. After a brief five minutes where Olivander taught Harry how to draw the wand from its holster, flicking the wrist in a sharp turn motion so the wand would draw into the palm of his hand quickly, Harry left the store with a sincere goodbye.

Behind him, he didn't hear as Olivander muttered, "Dumbledore's bound to find out…"

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Author's Note:** Okay, there is the first part of Harry's shopping. I apologise if there are any spelling mistakes! The next chapter should be out soon! I hope that you enjoyed it! Please review so I know if you like what I am doing or what isn't working. I crave reviews and so I would really appreciate it! Feel free to stop by my yahoo group and now, onto the review responses! 

**javierr55** – Thank you for your review and you did a great job on the translation. I didn't make a sentence out of it but, maybe later explained in some magical theory I will write, the words release magic. It meant: home, location, burden, secret, accept, family/surname. Again, thanks for reviewing and great job on the words!

**BloodRedSword** – Thanks for the review and the pairing was going to be Harry/Blaise, but now I am considering one of the two other un-Housed girls mentioned in the books (as suggested to me on my yahoo group).

**n6uos** – Thanks for reviewing!

**TuxedoMac** – Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like it. Also, thanks for wishing me a happy birthday!

**Serpent of Light** – Wow, nice review! I don't really have time top respond to everything so I will just say a few things. I also thought that the ending sentence of the last chapter was rather ominous, also thought about the Tom Riddle diary thing. Chess will come into play slightly as they do play quite the bit of chess in the wizarding world; I also love the idea of wizards chess! Transportation will vary throughout the book, but there will be a few things. Otherwise, I agree with what you say and I also support SPEW, well, not on some things (like forcing them with hidden hats, lol).

**potterloverno1** – Thanks for the review, glad you like it!

**maguswizard** – Thanks and Dumbledore and the Order's reactions are just 2 chapters away, along with the beginning of some training. I hope you like it, the Dumbledore/Harry relationship will go through a lot in the coming year.

**Serena24** – Thanks and I hope you liked this chapter too!

**Please review!**

Serpentine Phoenix


	5. Acquisition Part 2

**Harry Potter and the Ethereal Flame**

**Author's Note:** This is the concluding part of the last chapter and I hope that you enjoy it! One more chapter before things start heating up and we get into the thick of things. **I am thinking about writing some magical texts to accompany the story and put on my yahoo group – would anyone be interested in that perhaps?** Let me know in a review if you would but now, here is the chapter…

} parseltongue {

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**Chapter 5: Acquisition Part 2**

The young man, clad in a tattered black cloak, made his way through Diagon Alley trying his best to not attract the attention of shoppers as he walked. Harry Potter had already spent much of the day in Diagon Alley buying supplies and tending to his business, so he was now headed toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions where he hoped to purchase some wizard wear before stopping for a bite to eat.

The sun was beating down in the Alley now and the smell of fresh dragons' liver drifted down from the apothecary and that wasn't good news for any of the passing shoppers; especially since it was seemingly amplified by the Sun's rays. Despite this, Harry soon enough weaved a path through the bustling crowd and entered Madam Malkin's; though his ears had taken some abuse from passing hagglers and such.

"Hello dear," greeted Madam Malkin herself, though she seemed slightly apprehensive with Harry's dark, mysterious attire. Harry motioned with his head to the corner of the store so he couldn't be heard when he confessed his identity to the cloth-sculpting witch. He knew he would have to be fitted and so he would have to entrust Madam Malkin with his identity. She complied and once there, Harry had his back to the others in the store and drew back his hood just slightly so that she could see his face.

"Mr Potter?" she questioned, her breath catching in her throat.

Harry nodded in the affirmative and then, deepening his voice slightly asked her if he could be fitted for some robes and such.

"Do you have any specifics in mind?" she queried whilst leading him into a private booth, quite large, with a fitting stool and such equipment.

"Not really, what do you have to offer?" he asked rather uncomfortable in his lack of preparation.

"Well, if you would like, you could have a look through our catalogue and then just give me a call when you have decided upon what you want."

Nodding, Harry took a seat and the offered catalogue from Madam Malkin before setting in to have a long look through it.

After about fifteen minutes, Harry gave Madam Malkin a shout and she came in and asked him about his choices. Harry had come to the decision that he would only buy what he would need at the moment; after all, he hadn't yet finished growing so he thought it would be a little stupid if he bought a whole new wardrobe only to grow out of it by summer's end.

"Yes ma'am, could I have eight casual robes? Erm, I'd like 3 black, 1 blue, green, silver and auburn. I would also like three cloaks; in black, green and purple. I would like to have lots of pockets within the robes and cloaks please Madam Malkin. Also, a wizard's hat, the large one in black and a pair of boots: dragon hide if you have it?" he said, with Madam Malkin scribbling his order down in a hand-held lined pad.

"That's fine Mr Potter, now what materials would you like these in?" she asked, pen poised once more.

"Well, the best you have, I want the finest quality please. Also, for the dragon hide boots, I would prefer it to be Hebridean Black hide if possible?"

"But of course Mr Potter, that's fine. Lets get you measured up and fitted then your robes should be ready within a half hour."

"Great!" he responded.

Whilst he was being measured and fitted for his robes, Harry thought over what he had just ordered. It wasn't much, just enough to keep him going for a while. The boots were something that he wanted as he lived on rural land now in Potter Cottage and so he thought they would come in useful. His favourite and most meaningful purchase though had to be the wizard's hat as from the moment he saw it, he knew he was going to buy it. To Harry, this symbolised a proper wizard and it was a statement to himself of his embracing his heritage and he looked forward to wearing it somewhere.

Once finished, Harry told Madam Malkin that he would go for a quick lunch and pick up his clothes afterward. She bid him a fond goodbye and Harry made for the Leaky Cauldron.

Entering, Harry took the same small round table to the back of the inn that he had taken but a day ago. Sitting there, Tom, the barkeep, noticed him and Harry gave a slight nod in which he came over. Confirming his identity, Harry was warmly greeted by Tom who hurried off to make him a lunch and even gave him a butterbeer on the house despite Harry's protests. So, it was after a fine lunch that Harry was back in the Alley and picking up and paying for the brown package that contained his order from Madam Malkin's. Now, there were only a few things to pick up in the Alley before he had to make for muggle London.

The next place Harry visited was a trendy looking store by the name, Everyday Items. It looked like it basically sold _everything_ as from looking through the store window, there seemed to be no order to it; just lots of different items. Quickly deciding that he might be able to find a few useful things in here, he entered.

Walking out of the store ten minutes later, Harry was the proud owner of a new black leather wallet which was charmed against theft and such; his wizard ID and Gringotts Bank card were in here and the wallet tucked away in the back pocket of his jeans. He also had a small velvet pouch, smaller than his Gringotts pouch, which was fastened with a pull string and contained floo powder for _the prepared wizard_. Furthermore, Harry was sporting a freshly pierced left ear. The top of his ear held a cylinder-like ear ring which pierced the flesh with three points. The ear ring was shaped something like a claw or a paw and looked rather imposing; though Harry did cringe as it cut through the cartilage of his ear.

Standing there in front of the store, Harry quickly pulled out a silver pocket watch from an inside cloak pocket, which was on a silver chain, to check the time. Nodding, he placed it back within the folds of his cloak. This was the last thing that Harry had bought from the store as he needed a new watch and he thought that the pocket watch made him seem more sophisticated. It was sleek silver, and the round watch face sported the time as any normal watch would, though a slight button on the right of the watch, when pressed once morphs the watch face to show a compass. Press the button a second time and it allows, with use of a wand, the user to set personal messages and times, like an alarm. Pressing the button a third time would take the watch to its normal state; of course a small, simple manual accompanied his purchase and he intended to give it a read later.

Making his way now back to Basalinda's Bags and Trunks where his new satchel was waiting for him, Harry's excitement grew. Entering the store, Harry was quick to receive it from the assistant at the counter; it was even better than he thought! The satchel, made from Hebridean Black dragon hide, was a deep black colour with a ridged surface from the scales but a smooth finish. It was a basic satchel with a front flap, held by two clasps, one on each side at the bottom of the flap. They were actually in the shape of a Hebridean Black in silver, twisting to open, though he knew a password would be needed. On the front of the flap, in silver stitching, the form of a fully grown Hebridean Black was curling upward as if writhing in mid-air. He knew that the inside of the satchel was expanded to fit a lot of items inside and that was a bonus for all the books he would undoubtedly be carting about during his NEWT years. The satchel, as well as being stylishly fashioned, had a padded shoulder on the dragon hide strap which was very comfortable.

Taking the satchel, he made his way outside and decided to set the password on it for his privacy. Opening it and saying 'password', Harry now had to think of something that would be unusual so as his password would not be guessed; even though he intended to speak it in parseltongue. Smiling, Harry thought of one.

} serpentine phoenix {

That done, Harry was all set and quickly placed his shrunken trunk and backpack into his satchel and then secured it over his left shoulder so that it hung by his right hand. Feeling altogether very happy, Harry was soon in the Alley again and seeing the sign for Eeylops Owl Emporium, he made for it as he wanted to treat Hedwig for sticking out all the summers with the Dursleys with him. There, he picked up a few bags of owl treats, a new lightweight cage made from platinum which was larger than Hedwig's current cage and also a perch. The perch although expensive was fantastic; it was made from a dark wood and had a large base, with a tree-like trunk stemming from it and spiralling upward. It was intricately carved and the trunk came to rest as a thin perch over a wooden tray beneath it, with finely sculpted branches of wood rising from the tray on which were hooked water and food trays. He knew that Hedwig would love all the things that he bought for her and so he shrunk them and placed them into his satchel which had a remarkable amount of space within.

Harry was done for today in Diagon Alley as he avoided the colourful shop entitled Weasley Wizard Wheezes as he didn't want _anyone_, including the Weasley twins, to know of his presence in the Alley. As Harry made his way towards the Leaky Cauldron once more, he took the time to look about him and it was because of this that he noticed one particular turning off the Alley.

Like Knockturn Alley, this turning was dark and dank and a crooked wooden sign hung from one of the stone walls that lined the descending steps into, _Ombra Alley_. Deciding that he may as well check it out as it looked like it housed some dark items, Harry briskly walked down the steps into the depths of Ombra Alley. Once in the narrow winding street, lined with small, dark shops, Harry's mind was made up as he knew that some of these shops were bound to have dark items of which he was severely lacking. His library at home had absolutely no section on the dark arts, something he was going to rectify, and he wanted as many things as he could to help him seek his revenge.

Walking near the back of the Alley, of which he noticed with a bit of apprehension was a dead end, Harry saw a shop front which looked like it would suit his needs. The windows of said shop were so dirty that no light penetrated either way through and above the door there was only one sign. The sign read, _Malavita's_.

With a slight hesitation, Harry pushed open the door and entered into the shop. Inside, dim candle light illuminated the decent sized store and the book shelves and counters that held the owner's stock.

"Yes?" asked a deep, cold voice.

Turning to the sound of the voice, Harry came face to face with a tall, athletic looking man. He had wavy black hair and a neatly trimmed moustache and the flickering candle light highlighted a thin scar running the length of his face, over his nose and down his left cheek. The man had an Italian look about him and his baritone voice was very demanding and carried a note of impatience.

"I'm here to have a look around really, I am in need of some books and I may purchase a few items," Harry responded.

"Right, take a look around then and don't be wasting my time either," was the sharp reply.

Browsing the bookshelves to the left of the shop, Harry was in awe of the amount of books there on supposed dark magic and Ministry-restricted magics. There were all sorts of tomes there that Harry knew he wanted, and so he told the Malvagita, the impatient store owner, that he would take all the books on the three bookshelves; this way he would have a healthy section of restricted magics in his cottage library.

Whilst Malavita packed away the books into piles, shrunken, Harry continued looking around the store. He came across an oak box, relatively large that was positioned on feet-like stumps and had a golden inlay. There was a gold clasp on the front of the box of which Harry flicked open. Inside the box, there were four clear crystals embedded in the velvet covered bottom. To the right of these, in a pile, also embedded, were ten circular targets (like a dart board) with a single red circle on either side of the plastic circle; placed dead in the centre. They were only about four inches in diameter and the red circle only about one inch in diameter. These captured Harry interest instantly.

"What's this?" questioned Harry.

"What? Ah, that…it's a duelling target set is that. You see those crystals, you plant them in the ground and the enclosed area is the designated area that the targets are confined to. The targets themselves, when the red spot is hit by a magical blast like a stupefy spell or such, will deactivate. You see, the targets can be used immobile like they are now to help improve wand aim, or you can have them mobile. They will fly around the enclosed area that they crystals form, with a height maximum of 30ft and once hit with a magical blast then they will deactivate. This is much harder though as the targets are then moving. Then the targets will pause in mid-air for 5 seconds before becoming active once more."

"These sound great, just what I need," Harry breathed. "How do you work them?"

Malavita then took told Harry all he had to do with the crystal was position them to form an enclosed area and they would work without any form of activation. He took one of the circle targets and said he could just fire spells at them to determine his aim and that he spells would have to be extremely powerful to destroy these targets; one of the reasons that these sets were outlawed, because they were charged with powerful magic to prevent destruction via excess spell exposure. The Minister had outlawed them because the magic it was charged with was so powerful that it just _had_ to be dark magic; the powerless fear the powerful he had quoted.

"Now then, to activate the targets, you must point your wand at 'em and say, _orsorum_. This will start 'em up," he explained.

Then, he pointed his wand at the circle target and muttered the activation word and the circle target vibrated slightly until the target began to morph. The clear plastic-type material expanded to form a sphere with the red spot now a smaller sphere in the centre of it. The target sphere was now hovering an inch above Malavita's open palm; he explained they would only hover until they were within the crystal-made area.

"To deactivate them, just point your wand at either the target, or if you can't hit 'em, then point it at one of the crystals and say, _desino_. That'll stop 'em, then they'll just hover until you retrieve 'em. Not a bad piece of equipment at all I would say." He deactivated the target, which returned to its former 2-D shape, as he spoke the incantation.

"I'll take the set," Harry said with a steady voice.

"Know how much this set cost do ya?" he questioned with a definite hint of mocking in his voice.

"How much?" was Harry's simple reply.

"A clean 150 Galleons," was the eager reply from Malavita.

"Done."

As Harry was paying Malavita, from the money in his third trunk compartment, he noticed as Malvagita's loose linen shirt lifted up his left arm, the black tattoo that was the sign of a Death Eater; the Dark Mark. Shocked slightly that he had done business with such a man, it took a minute for him to come to terms with what kind of place he was conducting his business in. After all, to him, Ombra Alley seemed a hell of a lot worse than Knockturn Alley. Deciding that he shouldn't do anything right now, Harry paid the man and put his purchases away safely into the confines of his trunk.

"I may be back to do more business with you, I trust that our conducts are kept confidential?" asked Harry, the parselmouth in him elongating the words into a hissing sentence.

"Of course," he replied in a sickly sweet voice.

Leaving the shop, Harry determined that Malavita was on his to-get list. He knew where he was and when he deemed the time right, Harry would come for him. The Slytherin in Harry was also contemplating Malavita's less than respectable stock of which would be his for the taking should he capture Malavita. Yes, he would come back to Ombra Alley, and he would leave with a few many more assets and a Death Eater to his name.

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Stepping out into the busy streets of muggle London, with his cloak away and his identity concealed by the ignorance of the muggle world, Harry's senses were assaulted by the everyday bustle of the hive-like city. With Quidditch-honed agility, Harry was able to slither through the crowds and follow the main stream of shoppers to a high street lined with large shops of different kinds, making sure to remember his way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Looking about, He noticed a few benches with bins close by for rubbish disposal and small trees planted in square allotments of soil periodically down the middle of the high street. The pavement was paved a beige colour with orange stones placed within, creating a hectic pattern no doubt to subconsciously encourage the shoppers to buy more and more; or so Harry's slightly paranoid theory went. Small mobile carts were parked about the street promoting ice cream and fast food, which Harry found strange as the high street itself had a McDonalds and a Burger King on either end of said street.

Walking into the closest clothing store that he saw people his age shopping in, Harry was soon browsing naively through the isles of clothing. Deciding to just pick out whatever he had a liking for, Harry began to pile cloths into his arms. When his load was becoming excessively heavy, a girl wearing a uniform red –t-shirt, black pants and a name tag, approached.

"Need some help there?" she asked; her voice was quiet and it looked like she was new to this whole procedure as she was looking very shy and timid.

"Sure, I really have no idea what I am doing," he replied, also quiet shy as Harry found himself extremely attracted to her timid character.

With her head slightly bowed, eyes averted, she began to help Harry pick out cloths and lead him to the changing rooms. Trying them on, the girl, Lyra, would give her modest opinion and Harry ended up purchasing clothes of a darker colour as it suited him and was a nice contrast to his 'natural complexion'. Harry chose not to argue and took her advice, and as they proceeded to pick Harry lots of new clothes, Lyra became more comfortable in his presence and she raised her head a little and her actions were less contrived.

Lyra was a girl you would call petite. She had dark brown hair, tied back into a messy ponytail and soft features. She was 17 as she informed Harry as they chatted and enjoyed water sports. All in all, Lyra was a nice girl and being on the shy side only made Harry like her even more. After an hour or so, Lyra and Harry had picked out a lot of clothes, though not too many as Harry didn't want to grow out of lots of clothes and have to spend even more money to buy a whole new wardrobe. So Harry had clothes ranging from jackets, pants, shorts and such to socks, underwear and pyjama pants for 'winter nights' apparently.

The store also sold footwear of sorts and so Harry bought two pairs of trainers. One pair was for everyday wear and the other was a top of the line athletic trainer for training of all sorts. Both appealed to Harry in function and design so he bought them. The only other things Harry bought from the store were a baseball cap, 2 pairs of leather gloves (he remembered the axe by the cottage) and 3 plain black wrist bands as his wrist felt bare without a watch and they were 'stylish' according to Lyra.

Finally done with shopping for clothes, after paying with his Gringotts card/Visa, Harry prepared to leave the store. Approaching Lyra, Harry thanked her for her help at which she blushed, and with a 'see you around' Harry left Lyra who was thinking about what beautiful eyes Harry had; so deep and…mature.

(**AN: There will be no romance between the two, just some simple interaction and friendship maybe – Lyra's thoughts on his eyes were what I put down to the 'Potter effect'**).

Back in the high street, Harry began to look for a store that sold some basic hygiene products. Seeing a Boots, Harry entered and quickly set about collecting a few razors, some shaving cream, aftershave, deodorant and other such products. After he had bought these using his Gringotts card, Harry's next stop was at a stationary store called Parkers. There, Harry picked out some plain and ruled pads and pencils and pens etc. to use as they were easier and quicker to use than parchment and quill; though he had no intention of renouncing his wizard stationary, he just wanted to work on his penmanship with a quill so as his parchment work was presentable and respectable. The last place Harry decided to visit was a small music store by the name of Music Zone. Here, Harry bought a portable CD player as to occupy his time and he found he always worked better with some background noise. This said, he also collected some CDs out of different categories including some Donnel Jones, Savage Garden, Puff Daddy, 2 Pac, Nelly, Nickelback, Linkin Park and many others as he didn't really know what he liked so he picked out a hell of a lot of music.

His shopping all in his trunk of which was in his satchel, which funnily enough, muggles took for rough leather, Harry was on his way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Once there, Harry stopped outside of the entrance and called the Knight Bus to him, ensuring first that his cloak was wrapped around him, as he was still reluctant to use floo powder. With an almighty bang, the Knight Bus arrived and swept Harry off to Etherfield Village.

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Arriving at the village, Harry was quick to take the path out of Etherfield. Once he found the dirt path that led to the Potter Cottage gates, Harry halted. The sound of rustling leaves distracted him and he quickly flicked his wrist, effectively drawing his wand. Poised ready for action, Harry looked about himself. Then, from above in the trees, leaves rustled once more to reveal none other than his snowy owl, Hedwig, who fluttered down and landed gracefully on his shoulder. After giving him an affectionate nip to the ear, Harry stroked her feathers before moving on towards the gate.

"Sorry you couldn't get in girl," he cooed, "you won't have that problem anymore. Hey girl, I bought you some things in Diagon Alley today, yeah, things worthy of such a great owl." He didn't really understand how much Hedwig meant to him until she wasn't there. She really was a great friend.

Opening the gate and bringing Hedwig in willingly on his shoulder, the wards on Potter Cottage seemed to accept her with no trouble and so he made his way up to the cottage. Entering and leaving his trainers on the shoe tray, Harry told himself that after today he would get rid of the clothes he had from his _relatives_ as he didn't want any reminder of _them_.

Walking into the living room, Harry took a seat at the very end of the room in front of the huge fireplace that was crackling merrily. Elle was soon to greet him and he asked her kindly for a mug of hot tea at which she eagerly popped away to attend to. As he awaited his tea, Harry placed his satchel over the back of the chair and relaxed into the soft comfort of the chair.

Once his tea arrived, Harry cupped it in his hands and began to think over all of the things he needed to do over the next few days; fingering the ethereal ring absently around the mug of tea in his hands. After a good ten minutes in which he drank his tea and lost himself in thought, he finally snapped out of it and called Elle to him.

"Yes, Harry sir?"

"Elle, I arranged with some Gringotts' Goblins this morning for one thousand Galleons to be prepared so as to be picked up. This is for the cottage funds of course, so could you be so kind as to collect it?" asked Harry politely.

"Harry sir would trust Elle with this?" she asked, awed.

"Of course," he replied with conviction.

"Yes Harry sir."

With that, Elle popped away and returned a few minutes later with her palm on a small wooden crate with the Gringotts crest embellished upon the surface. Thanking Elle, Harry pulled his satchel onto his shoulder, placed the Gringotts crate under his left arm, which was surprisingly light, and set off towards the library. Once there, Harry picked out every book from his trunk, which he unpacked and returned to its normal size, and placed them all in piles by one of the tables. He decided to come back and integrate his latest acquisitions into the existing library catalogue in a day or two.

Passing through, Harry accessed the hidden doorway leading to the duelling and potions rooms. Once in front of the portrait of Eresea Potter in the potions room, Harry uttered the password and then emptied the crate, enlarged within, of the one thousand galleons through the house-elf sized hole. Once done, Harry called Elle and she returned the crate to Gringotts of which, upon her return, he thanked her gratefully. After this, Harry turned to his room with Elle in toe and his trunk floating lazily behind him.

Once in his room, he handed over all of his clothes, both wizard and muggle, to Elle who proceeded to put them away into his wardrobe and cupboards. Harry placed Hedwig's perch in the far right corner of the room, next to the massive window facing the lake and wood, this way he could have it open in the day for Hedwig to come and go as she pleases. He was sure that Hedwig would love to fly around the massive grounds of Potter Cottage and he felt that she deserved nothing less. He placed Hedwig's new cage on top of his wardrobe and placed his new leather chair in front of his fireplace. He put his muggle stationary into his desk drawers along with his wizard stationary, and he put his CDs and portable CD player into his bedside table. His wand care equipment went into one of his cupboards as did his new dagger (Goblin sword) and duelling set; for now. His new trunk went at the foot of his bed and he organised it with the help of Elle. The last thing to do was hang the Potter family tapestry of which he placed above the fireplace in his room; all in all the room looked cosy and it was _his_!

For the moment, Harry placed his eye-healing potion into the medicine cabinet in the bathroom along with his muggle hygiene products. After this, Harry enjoyed a delicious meal in the kitchen with Elle before deciding that an early night would do him some good, what with the busy next few days he had ahead of him and the eye-healing potion he had to take.

Bidding Elle a fond good night, Harry collected his potion from the bathroom. He then went to his library and picked out a few books that he wanted Ethan to have a look through whilst he slept. Once he had all of the books he summoned Ethan using the ring before leaving him; Ethan already knowing what he was looking for since Harry had thought about it whilst Ethan was still a part of his mind. Done there, Harry locked the door behind him before going to his room. He changed into some black pyjama pants before downing the potion in one go and falling into a blissfully dreamless sleep; his eyes healing as he did so and the pain going unfelt.

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**Author's Note:** Hey, hope you like that everyone, let me know in a review if you did or didn't. Next chapter is where we start getting into some training; add in some reactions from selective people and a few other things…should be good. Let me know if anyone would be interested in the magical texts I mentioned in the author's note at the beginning of the chapter and I have also posted a picture of the layout of Harry's bedroom on my yahoo group! I would also like to thank **Smallville Potter** for the naming of the double as I forgot to do it last chapter, it makes things a lot easier by the way. Onto review responses anyway…

**katsuya102** – Sorry I didn't get to respond to you at the end of the last chapter, but you reviewed just after I posted the chapter. Thanks for the review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter?

**Grand Griffon** – I thank you for reviewing as your opinion means a lot – you have a fantastic fic! I am going to review a.s.a.p. just been a little busy but it will happen! Give me a day or two and I'll try and review each chapter of both! As for the Blaise thing, I have been alerted to her actually being a guy, but I'm not sure as to change her to another character or go ahead with a female Blaise which I am _so_ tempted to do! Hope you like the chapter by the way!

**Yugioh/Potter/Pokemon fan** – Thanks for reviewing and don't worry about the animagus thing, it will happen. If all goes well, this fic should have a sequel but the animagus thing _will_ take place in this fic. It might take a while but you should be pleased with it and a few other things as well! Hope you like the chapter!

**Saetan** – Thanks for the review and Harry and Ethan will be able to study quite fast as it is. He has two years to get through _all_ of his books, but his studying may become _dangerous_ with the amount/speed of it. All I'm saying on that though! I should be updating within every ten days, so far I have updated under every six days, though most of the time it will be every five days! This might be a little boring so far with lack of action, but it is coming in the next chapters, promise!

**Lord Gryffindor14** – Thank you for reviewing; means a lot! As for a magical dog, it isn't in the plot so far but I might be able to snake it in there. I'll give it some thought…yessss, it could work.

**potterloverno1** – Thanks for the review and I hope that you like this chapter!

**TuxedoMac** – Thanks for he review! Right, I'm glad you liked the satchel and as for the potion, Harry will be studying and dabbling in potions quite a bit, though for now he is just focusing on time so he is buying things he could probably do by himself etc. His double is only a part of his mind and so it requires no physical healing of any sort as it is not entirely physical. It is a blend of mind and magic – this will all become clearer once Harry's curiosity comes into play and he begins his journey into Ethereal Magics. I am also glad that you like that things are going on to a minor scale; it is the spreading of fear really of which Voldemort thrives on. In this fic (sequel will be out and out war really), things will be minor and not _too_ large as something will be in the works regarding Voldemort's plans. I can't say too much more on that. As for Dumbledore, his reaction will lead to a bumpy relationship with Harry. Thanks for letting me know I missed out the thank you to S/P – I'm so forgetful. Hope you like this chapter and next chapter is here the story starts to hit off.

**Gyre** – Thank you for the review and compliment. As for Dumbledore, he's having kittens!

**Goldilocks31890** – Hey, just received your review before I posted this chapter, lucky or what! Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you like Elle, lol; the picture of innocence eh? I wish I had an ethereal ring as well, oh well…and the ethereal magic, ethereal ring, and etherfield village are all just coincidence, lol /whistles innocently/ Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!

**Please Review!**

Serpentine Phoenix


	6. Taster

**AN:** Okay, I keep saying that I will update but every time I try and write and such, things are coming up and with my college work and then with work every night after college, I'm getting bogged down. **However**, I am intent upon continuing with this story and would like to thank those of you who have reviewed to get my a in gear. Please, give me till the 27th of this month to get up the next chapter and then hopefully, once a month updates after that.

Here is a little taster of what is to come in the next chapter. Thanks.

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Dumbledore stood and power rippled from his body distorting the air about him and the effect was a relative numb awe from the occupants of the room. His face was devoid of a smile and his eyes were glacial, missing their custom twinkle. The aged wizard at this moment showed the gathered Order of the Phoenix exactly why he could compete with the Dark Lord as they felt the unique flavour of Dumbledore's magic wash over them.

"We **must** find him!" was the sharp instruction he uttered, supposedly not angry, but stern none the less.

When he had emphasized his message with a sweep of the room with his sky-blue eyes, Dumbledore whispered a soft 'dismissed' before apparating away with a sharp crack. When the most powerful 'light' wizard in the world disappeared, the gathered were drew forward just slightly with the vanishing of such a powerful display of magic and left almost breathless, with a few exceptions of course.

Mad-eye Moody shook his head slightly and then looked over to one Severus Snape with a look of incredulity before addressing him with his gritty voice.

"Ya jus' _had_ ta speak bad o' the boy eh!"

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Thanks – hopefully more to come on the 27th of this month then! 


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